Hand-held lamb and chorizo pie

To celebrate pie week, try this hand-held lamb and chorizo pie recipe from eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com – perfect for a dinner party starter or snack.

Ingredients (makes 12)

375g/12oz lean lamb mince

2 spring onions, finely chopped

50g/2oz chorizo sausage, finely chopped

30ml/2 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

2 x 320g packs shortcrust pastry

12 quails’ eggs, hard-boiled

Beaten egg, to glaze

For the spiced tomato relish:

15ml/1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 x 200g can chopped tomatoes

5ml/1 tsp caster sugar

Pinch dried chilli flakes

15ml/1 tbsp good balsamic vinegar

Method

To make the filling, in a large bowl mix together the mince, spring onions, chorizo and parsley. Season.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a thickness of a one pound coin and cut out twelve 9cm/3½in circles to fit a 12-hole greased muffin tin. Cut twelve 7cm/2¾in circles for the lid.

Gently press the large pastry circles into the holes of the muffin tins and half fill with a portion of the mince mixture. Top with a quail’s egg then a final layer of the mince mixture to cover.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200°C/400°F. Brush the edges with the beaten egg, then place the lid on top, pressing the edges together to seal.  Brush the tops with the remaining egg and make a hole in the centre for any steam to escape.

Bake the pies for 25 minutes, then leave to cool in the tin.

Meanwhile, prepare the relish; heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Serve the pies with the relish (both the pies and the relish taste great hot or cold).

Tip: This recipe works well with beef mince too.