Irish Lamb Pie (with Meatballs)

Overhead view of a baked pie sprinkled with fresh herbs sitting on a tea towel and wooden board.

Irish Lamb Pie (with Meatballs)

This Irish Lamb Pie is encased in a buttery flaky crust and filled with tender lamb meatballs and saucy vegetables. Make it for a cozy night in or to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

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1 15

1 5

2 35

Main Course

Irish

6 to 8 wedges

652 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Pie Crust

12 ounce all purpose flour, by weight
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounce unsalted butter, (2 sticks) cut into small pieces, very cold
4 tablespoon ice water, or more, as needed

Pie Filling

½ cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoon milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
¾ cup carrot, diced (about 1 large carrot)
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 cups stock, chicken, beef, lamb (or broth)
1 egg, beaten with a for (for egg wash)

Instructions

Pie Crust

In the bowl of your food processor, pulse the flour, grated parm, and salt to evenly distribute. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it turns into pea-size bits. Add 4 tablespoons of water, and pulse a few times to bring it together. (Pinch some of the dough between your fingers. If it sticks together, it's done. If it still crumbles apart, pulse in another tablespoon of water and test again.) Transfer it to a large bowl, or floured bench, and use clean hands to collect all the bits and create a mound of dough. Divide in half and shape into disks. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Meatballs

Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and add the milk. Mash together with a fork until it becomes a paste. Stir in the egg, herbs, salt + several grinds of black pepper. Add the lamb and mix until just combined. Form into meatballs, roughly 2 tbsp each.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high. Brown the meatballs on all sides (no need to cook them all the way through), then transfer to a plate. (If using cast iron, you may need to turn the heat down to medium.)

Filling

Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for one minute to cook off the raw flour taste. Slowly stir in the stock until it is all combined.
Return the lamb meatballs to the skillet. When the sauce just begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another minute thicken. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely, about 45 to 60 minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools and again as it bakes in the pie.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Remove the pie dough to your counter and rest for 20 minutes. Roll out both rounds of pie dough. Place one in the bottom of a pie plate. Fill with the cooled filling. Place the top crust over and trim the excess. Tuck the top crust under the lip of the bottom crust and crimp the edges. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape. Brush the top with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden and flaky.

Notes

Use store-bought refrigerated pie dough instead of homemade; you'll need two pie crusts.
Refrigerate leftovers in the pie dish or as individual slices. Wrap well or place in air tight containers. Keep for 2 to 3 days.
Freeze whole, unbaked pie: freeze completely in pie plate then remove (or use disposable pan), wrap tightly and place in air tight container to freeze for 2 to 3 months. Bake from frozen for 50 to 60 minutes or until center is 160-165°F.
Cool the pie for 10 to 15 minutes after baking to allow filling to set up before slicing.

Nutrition

freezer-friendly, holidays, make ahead, oven

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