Culinary Guides

There is nothing like a pot pie when the spring evenings still turn cold. This one leans warm and a little spicy, with ground lamb, cumin, and cinnamon folded around tender chunks of homegrown beets and sweet onion, all tucked under a tender yogurt crust. It comes together in one cast iron pan and feeds a hungry table.

Ingredients

For the yogurt pie crust

• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups whole spelt flour or wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Unbleached white flour for rolling

For the filling

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon cooking fat (butter, ghee, lard, or oil)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1-2 medium beets, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups low-salt broth (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or veggie)
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Directions

Make the yogurt crust (the night before)

1. Cream together the yogurt and butter, then blend in the flour and salt. Cover with a dish towel and leave in a warm spot in your kitchen for 12 to 24 hours.

Make the filling

1. In a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground lamb until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the cooking fat to the pan. Once melted, add the onion, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and beets and cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring often.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Add the red wine, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook until the wine reduces by about half.
5. Slowly pour in the broth, boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beets are tender and the mixture thickens slightly, about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Return the lamb to the pot with the chopped parsley, stir well, and remove from the heat.

Assemble and bake

1. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Whisk the egg with the milk or cream to make an egg wash.
2. On a floured surface, work the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Wrap one half and keep it in the fridge for later use (up to 5 days). Roll the other half into a round about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Lay the dough over the pan of filling. Fold the overhang inward and pinch to crimp the edges. Cut a few vents and brush with the egg wash.
4. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles at the edges, about 50 to 55 minutes.
5. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Grower's tip: Beets are best pulled young, around golf ball to tennis ball size. Left too long in the ground they turn woody and take on a harsher earthy flavor, so for a filling like this one pull them while they are still tender and sweet.

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The assembled unbaked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months; wrap it tightly and bake it straight from frozen, adding 20 to 25 minutes to the time.

Almost everything in this filling can come from your own beds. Sow a row of beets, a patch of onions, and a pot of parsley and you will have the heart of this pie growing right outside the door.