Method

Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

Grease a ceramic dish well with butter (approximately 23 cm in diameter and 7 cm deep).

Lamb Pie Filling
To braise this lamb to perfection you’re going to need an ovenproof pot – something cast iron like a Dutch oven works well. This recipe starts on the stovetop and will then go into the oven to continue braising.

Firstly, season the lamb knuckles well with salt and pepper, and then dust with flour. Heat a splash of oil in the cast iron pot and fry off the lamb in batches to seal. Remove the lamb and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pot and fry off the onions until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a minute, and then add the herbs and balsamic vinegar.

Bring to a boil, add the wine, and continue to boil until the mixture reduces by half – by doing this the alcohol, and the sharpness of the vinegar, cook off. Add the stock and bring back up to a boil. Add the meat back to the pot, cover with the lid and whack it into the oven for 2 hours to braise. Check it about an hour and a half in; if it needs more liquid add some extra stock. After two hours, the lamb should be fork tender. If there’s still a lot of liquid, continue to reduce on the stove until it is nice and sticky. Once the desired consistency is reached, remove from the stove and set aside to cool.

When the lamb is cool enough to work with it’s time to debone. Remove the meat from the knuckles and add back to the gravy, don’t forget to suck the marrow out the bones. Set aside and begin to work on the balsamic onions.

Balsamic Onion Topping
Making the balsamic onions follows the same process as the first batch of onions – the only difference is that the mixture is halved, and that there are no herbs or garlic. So to recap, place a frying pan over a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, and fry off the onion until soft. Throw in the balsamic and bring to a boil. Throw in the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and reduce until the onions are dark and sticky. Remove from the heat until ready to use – these will top the lamb filling when assembling the pie.

Easy as Pie Pastry
Start by mixing the flour and salt in a large bowl. Bring the water and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Make a well in the flour and toss the melted, hot butter and water mixture into the middle. Mix with a spoon until it starts to come together. When you’ve got a nice ball of dough, you’re done. Let it cool for a few minutes and you’re ready to roll.

Assembly
To assemble the pie, start off by preheating the oven to 180 °C.

Divide the dough in half for the top and bottom. Dust a rolling surface with flour and get started on the base.

Roll the dough into a rough circle, about R5 coin thickness. Make sure that you have enough pastry to line the base and sides of the dish, leaving enough to create a little lip above the dish. This is important, as the lid needs something to stick to. Gently lift and place the pastry into the greased dish, lining the bottom and sides. Trim excess pastry.

Spoon the lamb filling into the dish and try not to eat it all before you seal the pie. Take the extra balsamic onion topping and layer it on top of the lamb.

Using the other half of the pastry, start to roll the top. Again, roll it out to about the thickness of a R5 coin – ensure that it’s large enough to cover the top of the pie dish, with enough allowance to bring the base and top together and trim.

Before you gently lower the top onto the pie, brush the edges of the base pastry with egg wash. This will act as glue. Using the tips of your fingers, gently pinch the top and base together and trim excess pastry, if need be. Once sealed and secure, cut 3 slits into the centre of the pastry ‘lid’ to enable the steam to escape. Brush the top and edges generously with egg wash.

Place the pie into the oven on the middle rack and bake for 1 hour. Keep an eye on it, when it’s golden brown, it’s ready to come out. Be sure to leave the pie to cool for at least 10 minutes before you tuck in.

Serve with creamy chive mash, peas and a good glass of red for a country-inspired feast.