This Sardinian "pot pie" is stuffed with lamb and potatoes. The real star, though, is the crust which beautifully soaks up the savory juices of the stuffing.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Makes one 9-inch pie.
For this recipe, you will need:
4 1/8 cups (500g) semolina flour
5.5 tbsp. (65g) lard
Salt
1.5 lbs (680g) russet potatoes
1.5 lbs. (680g) lamb shoulder or leg meat, cut into large chunks
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
Chopped parsley to taste
Fresh black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
In a mixing bowl, knead the flour, lard, 1.5 tsp. (8g) salt and 1 cup (240ml) water together into an even dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature while making the stuffing.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into big chunks. Soak the potato pieces in water while you cut the lamb meat into large chunks. Traditionally the meat is left in very big pieces, but you can cut them a bit smaller if you prefer.
Drain the potatoes and, in a large bowl, combine them with the lamb, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and chopped parsley to taste. Sprinkle the meat/potatoes generously with salt and pepper, then them again with a drizzle of olive oil.
Preheat an oven to 395 degrees F (200 C). Wet a large sheet of parchment paper and squeeze out the excess, then use the paper to line a 9-inch springform pan.
Cut about 1/3 of the dough and set aside, wrapped in plastic Dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking, roll out the remaining 2/3 of the dough until it is big enough to drape into the pan with some overlap. Do so, and gently press it into the corners of the pan.
Fill the pie with the meat and potatoes. Roll out the remaining dough and drape this over the top to cover the pie. Trim the edges and roll them inward to seal the crust. Cut a small slit in the top of the pie and bake for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 355 F and bake a further hour.
Bring some water to boil. After the pie has baked, remove it from the oven and brush the top crust lightly with the hot water. Bake a further 5 minutes. Let the pie cool for a few minutes before removing the springform mold and serving.
Buon appetito!