Name: Kefalonian pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5mm cubes; 200 gm sebago potato (about 1 medium), finely diced; 30 gm long-grain rice; 30 gm currants; 100 gm kefalotiri cheese, grated; 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped; 1 tbsp each finely chopped mint and flat-leaf parsley; 1 tsp finely chopped marjoram; ½ tsp dried Greek oregano (see note); 60 ml red wine; 12 filo pastry sheets; 50 gm butter, melted

Kefalonian pie

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Kefalonian pie.

Serves 8

Prep

30M

Cook

1H 20M

Total

1H 50M

This simple pie combines Greek herbs with tasty lamb. It’s best eaten as soon as possible after cooking to prevent the crust becoming soggy.

Ingredients

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5mm cubes

200 gm sebago potato (about 1 medium), finely diced

30 gm long-grain rice

30 gm currants

100 gm kefalotiri cheese, grated

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp each finely chopped mint and flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp finely chopped marjoram

½ tsp dried Greek oregano (see note)

60 ml red wine

12 filo pastry sheets

50 gm butter, melted

Method

Main

1.Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, sauté until softened (4-5 minutes), transfer to a bowl, set aside. Add lamb to pan, sauté until brown (4-5 minutes), add to onion. Add remaining ingredients (except filo and butter), mix to combine. Cover, refrigerate until required.

2.Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced. Brush a 23cm-diameter cake tin or ovenproof frying pan with olive oil. Brush five filo sheets with melted butter and layer in tin. Brush five more filo sheets with melted butter and arrange in pan perpendicular to first sheets. Spoon in filling, brush remaining filo sheets with butter, fold in half widthways, place on top of pie, then fold in overhanging filo to enclose filling. Bake for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 180C (cover with foil if browning too quickly), bake until golden and cooked through (50 minutes). Serve hot or warm.

Note Greek oregano, also known as rigani, is more aromatic than the dried oregano sold in supermarkets. It’s available in dried bunches from Greek delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute dried oregano.
Drink Suggestion: Warm-hearted red grenache.
Notes