Pre heat the oven to 180’c
Lamb:
Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper
Heat half your oil in a casserole pan or deep saucepan and brown the shanks until golden all over (should take approximately 6 minutes)
Remove lamb from pan and add the remaining oil then celery, carrots and onion on a medium heat. When softened and golden, add tomato puree and herbs (thyme and rosemary), cook out the puree for 30 seconds and add the red wine.
Reduce for 5-6 minutes until the wine has almost disappeared. Add stock and bring to the boil, then add your shanks back in
Place a lid on top and place in the oven for about 2.5 hours until the lamb comes away from the bone
Once fully cooked, shred the meat from the bone, and remove from the sauce
Reduce the sauce over a medium heat until rich and thick, add the meat back in and stir to combine, check seasoning. Then leave to chill in the fridge
Once the filling is chilled, organise pastry.
Pastry:
Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface
Use your pie dish as a guide for size and once cut into a circle, lightly brush with beaten egg and chill until ready to bake
Spoon the chilled lamb mix into your pie dish, brush the sides of the dish with beaten egg and place the disk on top using fingers to crimp the sides
Ensure the oven temperature is heated to 200’c.
Bake pie for 20 – 25 minutes until the puff is golden and risen
Serve:
Serve with steamed green vegetables, caramelised red cabbage, and fluffy mashed potato
*If you’d like a showstopper pie, cut a 3 cm hole in the middle of your pie, save a shank bone when you pull away the meat and pop this into the pie and through the pastry hole, bake as above