Easter Lamb & Potato Pie

To make this Easter Lamb & Potato Pie recipe, start by preparing all the ingredients for the brioche dough.

Brioche dough (to be made the day before): Pour the flour and lukewarm milk into the bowl of the stand mixer.

Add the caster sugar...

...the fine salt...

...as well as the fresh baker's yeast...

...and the whole eggs.

Start kneading the ingredients together with the stand mixer, using the hook attachment, at speed 1 or 2...

...for 10 minutes. I recommend using a digital timer to monitor the kneading time.

Gradually, a homogeneous dough should form.

After 10 minutes, increase the speed up to 3 or 4 and continue kneading for 5 minutes.

Gradually, the dough will gain structure and the gluten network will form (giving elasticity to the dough).

After 5 minutes of kneading, add the softened butter, cut into small pieces, and continue mixing with the dough hook.

If the butter sticks to the sides of the bowl...

...stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl using a spatula. Gather the dough in the centre and remove any chunks stuck to the hook.

Continue kneading the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is homogeneous.

If needed, scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula during mixing.

Continue kneading the dough until it detaches from the sides of the bowl.

When the dough reaches a maximum of 24 to 25°C, stop kneading (the dough should be smooth and slightly shiny on the surface). Using a laser-targeting thermometer is recommended at this stage.

Detach the brioche dough from the dough hook...

...and scrape the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with cling film, stretching it over the edges.

Poke the plastic wrap with a needle to allow air to pass through.

Preheat a proofing chamber to 28°C.

Place the bowl in the proofing chamber, directly on the rack. Don't forget to pour some water into the small container provided to humidify the ambient air in the device.

Let it rise for 1 hour.

At the end of proofing, the brioche dough will have slightly expanded (there won't be a significant change, which is normal).

Remove the bowl from the proofing chamber and take off the plastic wrap.

Knock the dough by punching it down with your fist or palm...

...and wrap it in a new sheet of cling film. Store in the fridge until the next day.

Filling: Prepare all the ingredients.

Cut the lamb slices into strips...

...and pass them through a meat grinder fitted with a coarse grid (about 6mm).

This is what the result should look like.

Take the bread (dried or a bit stale) and cut it into pieces.

Place these bread pieces in a mixing bowl and add milk to soak.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. You can replace freshly ground pepper with Espelette pepper.

Finely chop the garlic with a knife...

...as well as the parsley.

Add the chopped garlic and parsley to the meat.

Also add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg using a Classic Microplane zester-grater.

Add the soaked bread.

Knead all the ingredients with your hands.

Peel the potatoes with a paring knife or a vegetable peeler.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan filled with cold water. Add a generous pinch of coarse salt.

Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until you can insert a knife blade into their core with no resistance.

Meanwhile, grease the inside of a stainless steel mousse ring with oil spray (or butter).

Place the mousse ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (lightly greased beforehand).

Remove the brioche dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Then roll out one half of the dough with a rolling pin...

...to an even thickness of 0.5cm. You should obtain a disc large enough to cover the bottom of the stainless steel ring and the sides. Keep the other half of the brioche dough in the fridge.

Line the mousse ring with brioche dough disc. Make sure the dough perfectly lines the inside of the ring.

Trim off any excess dough with a knife, following the rim of the stainless steel ring. Store in the fridge.

Filling (continued): Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and leave to cool at room temperature.

Slice the potatoes with a knife, to a thickness of about 0.5cm.

Take the mousse ring out of the fridge...

...and place a thin layer of potatoes in the bottom of the brioche dough.

Pour whipping cream over the potato slices. The potatoes should be covered with cream but not completely immersed.

Season the surface of the potatoes with salt...

...and ground pepper (or Espelette pepper).

Place the lamb filling directly on top of the potatoes...

...and press it down with your fingertips, as in the photo.

Cover the filling with the rest of the potato slices, arranging them neatly.

Cover the potatoes with whipping cream.

Season with freshly ground pepper (or Espelette pepper)...

...and fine salt.

Roll out the second half of brioche dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface.

You should obtain a piece of dough large enough to cover the mousse ring, and a little more, in order to cut out a disc to a diameter of 24cm.

Brush the entire rim of the pie with egg wash, using a pastry brush.

Take a mousse ring...

...and cut out a brioche dough disk.

Place a disc over the lamb and potato pie, making sure it is well centred...

...and press the disc onto the rim of the pie, where the egg wash was applied. Then roll the excess dough from the outside to the inside to form a border.

The lamb pie is still raw at thisi stage.

Brush the entire surface of the dough with the rest of the egg wash.

Make a small hole (diameter about 1.5cm) in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife.

Roll some aluminum foil to make a small chimney to keep the hole open during baking.

Place the aluminum chimney in the hole...

...like this.

Place the pie in a preheated fan oven at 180°C (gas 6)...

...and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Baking time may vary from oven to oven. If the surface of the pie browns too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 170°C during baking.

When cooked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at room temperature.

Remove the aluminum chimney; it should come off easily.

To release the pie from the ring, start by placing a round cake board underneath.

Place the pie and cake board on a mousse ring with a smaller diameter (16 or 18cm).

Then slide the mousse ring downward to release the pie.

The mousse ring should slide off easily. If it sticks slightly, use a knife blade between the pie and the ring.

The Easter lamb and potato pie is now ready to serve. Bon appétit!