Braised lamb and goat cheese pies with gravy

• sunflower oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• boneless lamb shoulder↗400g g
• rosemary sprig↗1
• onion↗1

  chopped

• carrot↗2

  chopped

• lamb broth800ml ml
• mint leaves↗small handful

  chopped

• goat cheese↗60g g

  cut into small pieces and chilled

• mint sauce1 tsp tsp
• plain flour↗250g g
• quick‑cooking polenta↗50g g
• baking soda↗½ tsp tsp
• butter↗75g g

  melted

• egg↗1

  beaten

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   A day before you plan to eat the pies, preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C with convection/gas 2. Heat the oil in a fire‑proof pot, then brown the lamb for about 10 minutes until golden. Add rosemary and vegetables, pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, then place in the oven and cook for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.

2. 2

   Remove the pot from the oven and discard the rosemary. Transfer the lamb to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Return the pot to the heat and cook until the broth reduces by half. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the meat, leaving the remaining sauce in the pan. Shred the lamb with two forks, then combine with the vegetables and 4 tbsp of broth (saving the rest of the juices), and mash slightly. Add mint, season to taste and chill in the refrigerator overnight until the mixture thickens.

3. 3

   Divide the mixture into six balls, then press a little goat cheese into the center of each, ensuring the cheese is fully covered by meat. Return them to the refrigerator.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, place flour, polenta, a pinch of salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Bring 100 ml of water to a boil, then pour it into a jug with the melted butter. Gradually add this liquid to the dry mixture, kneading by hand until a uniform dough forms. Do not over‑mix, otherwise the dough becomes too tough. Divide the dough into six balls and roll them into large discs. While the dough is still warm, wrap it around the filling, pressing to form a perfect round pie and seal the edges at the bottom to prevent leaking. The pies can be prepared two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for a month.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C with convection/gas 6. Place the pies on a baking sheet, brush them with beaten egg and bake for 20‑25 minutes until golden. Meanwhile, bring the juices to a boil and add the mint sauce. Remove the pies from the oven and arrange them on a serving plate, serving with a jug of mint gravy for drizzling.