Spiced Lamb Pie

Ingredients

2 batches of your favorite pie dough (enough for two 10-inch circles rolled out 1/4-inch thick)

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 anchovy fillets, packed in oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium-sized yellow onions, peeled and diced (yielding about 2 cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

14 1/2 ounces crushed or diced tomatoes (from can or box)

1/3 cup chopped mint

1/3 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I prefer creamy Grey Poupon)

6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

1 egg

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (fleur de sel or Maldon)

Directions

Take the lamb out of the fridge and break it apart into about quarter-sized pieces. Set aside.

With your mortar and pestle, make a paste with garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, honey, and Worchestershire sauce. Mix in cinnamon, cumin, and paprika.

Add olive oil and butter to a medium pot or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, slide in your onions. Add salt. Stir. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the meat. Stir for a few minutes, continuing to break apart the meat even more with the back of your spoon. It’s okay if it’s still pink; you will be cooking it for a long time. Add the spice paste. Stir for 2 minutes, integrating the paste and cooking it a bit in the hot pan. Add the tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook until the sauce thickens, about twenty minutes. Take off the heat and stir in herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sherry vinegar. Taste. Adjust seasoning. If you have time, allow it to cool.

20 minutes before making your pie, take your pie dough out of the fridge or freezer. Heat oven to 350° F. When the dough just starts to soften, scatter flour on your counter and roll out the first disc of dough into a circle that's about an inch bigger than your pie pan. (Shoot for the dough to be about 1/4-inch thick but don't worry too much. It will work regardless. I promise.) Press it into your pie pan. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, paint the interior of the dough with mustard. Pour in cooled lamb filling. Cover the filling with slices of cheese. Roll out second disc of dough. Place dough on top of cheese and filling. Seal the top layer of dough with the bottom. Tuck edges underneath. Crimp away! Or fold over. Or use the tines of a fork to make a pretty pattern. If you have any scraps of dough, add a few decorative flourishes in the form of a lightning bolt, a leaf, a star, or a heart.

Whisk together egg and cream. Using a pastry brush, paint the top and edges of the pie with the egg wash. Don't go overboard. Just a light coating. You will have a lot left over. Save it for your next pie. Decoratively cut several 2-inch long gashes in the center of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle crust with coarse salt. Bake until crust is golden brown and the lamb filling is bubbling a bit out of the slits (45 to 55 minutes). Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve with something refreshing like yogurt mixed with chopped mint and lemon zest. Or a crisp green salad with avocado and pomegranate arils.