Confit Lamb (or Goat) Shoulder Pie (Serves 8)

Approximate cooking time 4 hours slow cook; 20 minutes prep time and 20 minutes baking the pie. Total time: 4 H 40 minutes. 

2 shoulder of lamb (or fresh locally grown pygmy goat meat)  

4 cardamom pods 

3 sticks of cinnamon 

2 whole star anise 

10 cloves of garlic 

50 g palm sugar 

7 dried figs 

Parsley 

Mixed Peppercorns 

Rock Salt 

1 inch Ginger  

A Handful of Capers  

White Wine 1 cup 

Pumpkin (or squash) - 500g 

Potatoes  - 4 large 

500g Puff pastry 

Linseed  

Method 

Rub the shoulder of lamb (or goat) with peppercorns, salt, chopped ginger, and leave to marinate in the wine, parsley, and capers for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Peel and chop the squash and potatoes and add to the dish. Also, add the figs together with the pan-roasted spices 

In a saucepan over a medium heat melt the palm sugar before adding to the rest of the ingredients. 

Slow cook in a slow cooker for 4 hours or roast in a hot oven in an earthenware dish covered with a lid until tender, for about 2 hours. 

If using the animal fat, heat the fat in a saucepan and leave to turn completely into a liquid state and then add to the pot.  

When ready leave to cool and then remove the meat from the bones with the hand.  

Remove the star anise, the cardamom and the cinnamon sticks before filling the pie. 

On a floured flat surface roll open the puff pastry.  

Butter the surface of a baking dish and line the dish with the puff pastry.  Either flip edges over the cover the whole top of the pie, or add an extra piece of pastry as a lid. Cut any excess pastry away.  

Coat the top of the pie with egg yolk and sprinkle some linseed on the surface. 

Bake in a hot oven at 200C with a fan for at least 20 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked and the top is lightly browned.