Curried Lamb Potpie for Pi(e) Day

Welcome to Pi(e) Day hosted by Terri from Love and Confections! Pi Day is celebrated every March 14 by math fans around the world - and also bakers and pastry chefs. Pi is an non-repeating, infinite number represented by the Greek letter π, and used to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

Today, March 14, 2015, is an extra special Pi Day, because at 9:26:53 AM it creates the "Pi Moment of the Century". The first ten digits of Pi are 3.141592653 (3/14/15, 9:26 AM and 53 seconds). This exact date and time happens once every hundred years - a once in a lifetime moment for most of us. How cool is that?

Today, 21 Food Bloggers have gathered and want to celebrate the fun of Pi by creating their own sweet and savory pies to share with you. Hope you have a delicious day!

To no one's surprise, I opted to go savory. Well, I made a Curried Lamb Potpie.

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 1/2 C whole wheat pasty flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 C cold butter, diced
• 1/4 C cold water
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 t water

Curry

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed into 1" cubes
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 T curry powder
• 2 1/2 T flour
• 1/3 C beer (I used a wheat beer)
• 2 C chicken stock
• 2 C peeled butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 C chopped dinosaur kale
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 C unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped

Procedure
Crust
In a large mixing bowl, place the butter, salt, and flour. Using a pastry cutter, blend the mixture until you have pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the water over the mixture and bring the dough together into a ball. On a floured surface, knead the pastry gently a few times. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Curry
In a Dutch oven, heat oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Cook over medium heat until browned on all sides, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, then slowly stir in the beer until smooth. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, stirring, until nicely thickened, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lamb is very tender, approximately 1 hour.

Add the squash, kale, carrot and coconut milk to the pot and simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, approximately 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and let cool.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spoon the curry into buttered individual ramekins.

Brush the rim of the dishes with beaten egg. Roll out the pastry between two pieces of parchment and cut into circles that are slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekin. Place the crust over the curry and gently press around the edge of the dish. Brush with beaten egg; slice a few small steam vents in the top. Place the pies on a baking sheet.

Bake the potpies for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 450° F; bake an additional 20 minutes, until the pastry is browned and cooked through. Let rest for 20 minutes, then serve.

Enjoy a slice from the Pi(e) Day Bloggers

• Apple Pear Pie with Crumble Topping from Baking and Creating with Avril
• Apple Rhubarb Strawberry Pie from Food Lust People Love
• Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie from Healthy. Delicious.
• Chocolate Mousse Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Silk Pie from Famished Fish, Finicky Shark
• Coconut-Pistachio Pie from The Spiffy Cookie
• Curried Lamb Potpie from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Fresh Strawberry Pie from Taste Cook Sip
• Hillbilly Apple Pie from My Catholic Kitchen
• Kentucky Derby Pie from Kelli's Kitchen
• Mixed Berry Slab Pie from Making Miracles
• Peach-Blueberry Pie from The Redhead Baker
• Salted Honey Pie from girlichef
• Sicilian Ricotta Pie from Cake Duchess
• S'Mores Brownie Pie from Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Strawberry Daiquiri Pie from Love and Confections
• Thin Mint Pie from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Top Secret Derby Pie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Triple Berry Pot Pie from {i love} my disorganized life
• Vegetable Pot Pie from Sew You Think You Can Cook