Some themes of King Charles III’s coronation encourage volunteering and fostering the neighbourly spirit in our communities. To celebrate this, the Government House chefs have come up with a Kiwi twist on a recipe perfect for sharing with your neighbours, and with those who lend their time to make our communities a better place.
Serves 6
- 1 kg diced lean lamb
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 leeks, white part only and diced
- 3 celery sticks, finely diced
- 3 litres of light lamb or chicken stock
- 1 kg diced mixed root vegetables of your choice, such as parsnips, carrot, swede, celeriac or kumara
- A sprig of thyme and a few fresh bay leaves
- 3 large potatoes, roughly chopped
- 500gm Pre rolled butter puff pastry
- Marmite
- 1 cup grated tasty cheddar cheese
- Milk for glazing
Method:
Place lamb, stock, onions, celery and leeks in a heavy bottomed pot or casserole dish.
On the stove top, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for an hour.
Add first measure of root vegetables and herbs and cook for further half hour until vegetables are cooked but holding, and the lamb is tender.
Into a second pot carefully strain through a colander the stock from the lamb and vegetables and keep these warm. Add the potatoes to the remaining stock and boil until tender.
Using a stick blender puree the potatoes and stock until smooth and thick. Check for seasoning with salt and cracked pepper.
Pour sauce back over the warm lamb and vegetables and stir to combine.
Transfer to a 20cm deep pie dish and allow to cool.
For the marmite and cheese scroll crust, lay out a pre rolled sheet of pastry on a lightly floured bench.
Spread thinly but evenly with marmite and scatter the grated cheese to cover. Roll into a tight scroll.
Using a small serrated knife, cut roll into half centimetre slices.
Arrange in a single layer over the surface of the cooled lamb mix.
Brush lightly with milk to glaze the pastry.
Bake in a hot oven, 190 C for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.