Stranger Foods

Spiced shepherd's pie with butterbean crust

Serves 6 | Prep 45 mins | Cook 30 mins

If lamb siniyah is a Middle Eastern take on the Shepherd's pie, then this is my North African take, with a butterbean mash standing in for the potatoes. It's rich, comforting and hearty, needing little more than a green salad or roasted carrots alongside.

Source: SIMPLE by Ottolenghi

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

90 ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 banana shallots, thinly sliced
600 g lamb mince
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground allspice
2 lemons:, finely grate the zest to get 2 tsp
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp rose harissa
100 g dried apricots, quartered
280 ml chicken stock
220 ml white wine
80 g pitted green olives, halved lengthways
670 g cooked butterbeans (either 3x 400g tins drained or 400 g uncooked beans soaked overnight and cooked)
4 tbsp tahini
salt and black pepper

Instructions

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Put 3 tablespoons of oil into a large, heavy-based pan, for which you have a lid, and place on a medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté for , stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Increase the heat to high and add the lamb, cumin, allspice, half the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of salt. Fry for , until browned, stirring every now and then, then add the tomato paste, harissa and apricots. Fry for another , then pour over the stock and wine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for . Once cooked, set aside to cool, then add the olives. Spoon into a 20 x 25 cm ovenproof high-sided dish and refrigerate for at least half an hour. This will firm the meat up, making it easier to spread the mash on top.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
To make the mash, mix the butterbeans in a bowl with the remaining lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the tahini paste, 3 tablespoons of water, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper. Use a potato masher to mash the beans; they don't need to be completely smooth, just spreadable. Spread the mash over the lamb, then use a spoon to make a few shallow dips. Drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of oil and bake for until nicely coloured and bubbly. Rest for before serving.

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