Meals for Under £10: Lamb, Leek and Apricot Pies

SOMETIMES, when you’re really hungry, only a pie will do.

This week’s recipe is a change from steak or chicken pie with a fantastic, tasty filling of lamb, apricots, onion and Worcestershire sauce.

You can make the filling the night before and then top with pastry and cook the next day.

Serve with new potatoes and freshly-steamed veg.

You’ll need

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 egg yolk

400g cubed lean leg of lamb

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp tomato purée

100g dried apricots, chopped

500ml lamb stock

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 large leek, sliced

2 tbsp Tracklements Fresh Mint Jelly

375g chilled puff pastry

A dash of milk

Method

Heat the oil in medium flameproof casserole. Fry the lamb and onion until the meat has browned and the onion is becoming tender.

Add the tomato purée, apricots, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour. Add the leek and Mint Jelly and cook for a further 5 mins.

Divide the mixture between 4 individual pie dishes (approx. 5 inch diameter) and chill for about an hour. Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7/430F.

Cut the pastry into 4 equal pieces and roll each out on a lightly floured work surface to a rectangle large enough to drape over the top of the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with a mixture of egg yolk and milk. Cut a 1cm strip of pastry and place around the dampened rim of the dish. Brush the pastry with the egg yolk mixture then place the pastry lid over the top and pinch the two layers of pastry together. Make a slit in the centre of each pie for the steam to escape.

Bake for 25 –30 mins until golden brown.

Meals for Under £10: Chilli beef mini pies