Borders Farmhouse Mutton Pie
Tender diced mutton and sweet onions braised in a rich, peppery gravy under a crisp, golden shortcrust pastry lid.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 145 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 620 kcal
Equipment
- •casserole dish
- •deep pie dish
- •wooden spoon
- •pastry brush
- •sharp knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- fat
- 36 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 620 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the beef dripping in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat on the hob.
- 2
Season the diced mutton with half the salt and pepper, then brown in batches until deeply coloured.
- 3
Remove the meat, lower the heat, add the sliced onions, and cook for eight minutes until soft.
- 4
Stir in the plain flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to coat the onions.
- 5
Gradually pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, scraping all browned bits from the pan base.
- 6
Return the mutton to the dish, add the thyme and remaining black pepper, and bring to a simmer.
- 7
Cover with a lid and simmer gently on low heat for ninety minutes until the mutton is tender.
- 8
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- 9
Spoon the mutton and gravy into a deep pie dish and let it cool for ten minutes.
- 10
Drape the shortcrust pastry over the dish, trim the excess, and press the edges firmly to seal.
- 11
Cut a small steam vent in the middle and brush the pastry top evenly with beaten egg.
- 12
Bake for thirty minutes until the pastry is puffed, crisp, and rich golden brown.
Chef's tips
Mutton requires long, gentle simmering to become tender, so do not rush the hob braising. Let the meat filling cool slightly before adding the pastry lid to prevent the fat in the pastry from melting prematurely.
Ingredient substitutions
- diced mutton shoulder → diced lamb shoulder or lamb neck fillet
- beef dripping → vegetable oil or unsalted butter
- ready-rolled shortcrust pastry → homemade suet pastry rolled to 5mm thickness
Storage
Store leftover pie covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat in an oven preheated to 180°C for twenty minutes until the pastry is crisp and filling is piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Topping boiling-hot meat filling directly with pastry, which makes the crust soggy underneath.
- •Under-seasoning with coarse black pepper, which gives the mutton gravy its distinctive warmth.
- •Shortening the braising time before baking, leaving the mutton meat tough.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Borders Farmhouse Mutton Pie?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Scottish Borders and Dumfries
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
