Cumberland Pie

When an interest in History and Food collide!

“ A Brief History of the Cumberland Pie - The Cumberland Pie may have become no more than a dressed up Cottage Pie sprinkled with cheese and breadcrumbs, but its history goes so much further. The pie has its roots in medieval times when it would be made with a variety of meats, Herdwick mutton, or perhaps game, dried fruit and sweetened but not sugary by the use of apples in the recipe and spices. This mix of meat, spices, and fruit is not dissimilar to the original Mince Pies once made by a similar filling and not to be confused with the Christmas mince pies we are so familiar with today. “ - https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-cumberland-pie-435424

We I’d not have been popular if I’d put Apples and diced fruit in it. But we did have the cubed meat from to shank of a leg of Lamb I acquired in the discounts and butchered. So this was our take on Cumberland Pie

Ingredients:-

300g scraggly tough Lamb shank meat
½ a Swede cubed
1 large Onion sliced
3 medium Carrots sliced
250ml left over Turkey stock from a previous dish
1 Chicken Stock pot dissolved in 200ml of hot water
Mixed Herbs
Salt & Pepper
A sprig of Rosemary
3 large Potatoes
Grated Cheese
Cornflour
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) Heat oil in a frying pan.
(2) add Salt & Pepper to a little Cornflour and coat the meat.
(3) Fry the meat to brown slightly on all sides.
(4) In a casserole dish add all the ingredients except the potatoes and cheese.
(5) Cover and place in the oven at 170C and allow to cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours.
(6) Peel the Potatoes and boil.
(7) Remove the casserole lid to allow some of the stock to reduce. Fish out the Rosemary sprig.
(8) Mash the Potatoes and add a thick layer to the top of the casserole dish.
(9) Add the grated Cheese to the top of the Potato and place under the grill so that the Cheese melts and browns a little.

We quite enjoyed this, but it was a bit bland for us. Left to out own devices it would have had Chillies etc. added!