Lamb, spinach, ricotta and egg pies
May 26th 2010 12:16
The lamb, spinach, ricotta and egg pies could have packed more punch.
I don't know what it is with ricotta cheese but it is so BLAND!!
A girlfriend cooked lasagne with it not so long ago and it just seemed to lack some punch.
If I make this dish again I am going to try it with sour cream,because although it was nice and the kids gobbled it up, it lacked depth and richness in my opinion.
But that's the beauty of dishes, trying different flavours and ingredients according to taste.
Ingredients
1T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g lamb mince
500g ricotta cheese
250g packet frozen spinach, drained (I used blanched fresh spinach)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2t finely grated lemon zest
4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 eggs, plus 1 extra
cherry tomatoes for garnish.
Method
1. Preheat oven to very hot, 220 degrees celsius. Grease and line 2 baking trays.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium. Saute onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add lamb mince. Brown well for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
3. Add cheese to lamb mixture with spinach, mint and zest. Season to taste and mix well.
4. Cut corners from pastry sheets with a sharp knife to form large circles. Divide spinach mixture between circles, leaving a 4 cm border. Beat 1 egg and brush over border. fold edges around filling, leaving the centre open.
5.Pleat pastry around edges to seal. Brush pastry with remaining beaten egg. Place pies on prepared trays. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven. Carefully crack an egg into the opening of each pie. Bake pies for a further 10 minutes until egg is just set and pastry is golden. Serve with cherry tomatoes.
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Comment by Helen Randell
Rough Cooking
This looks really impressive - what a shame it didn't have the flavour to back it up. Good luck with your variations - maybe adding some herbs or paprika to the ricotta would help?
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
Thanks for the comment.
Herbs and/or paprika would certainly be an option.
If we weren't cooking it for the kids too I'd have put a big whack of chilli in...LOL.
Take care,
Sam