Lamb Shank Pie

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and brown the shanks on all sides, then set aside.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herbs and the remaining oil to the pot and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the wine, stock and cherry tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the shanks back in, cover and cook over a gentle heat for 3½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Remove the lid from the dish, put it in the oven and cook for a further hour.

Remove the shanks from the stock, discard the bones and shred the meat. Remove the stalky parts of the herbs from the stock. Chill the stock and meat separately overnight.

Skim the fat from the chilled stock and gently reheat. Take ¼ cup of the stock and mix to a paste with the flour. Whisk back into the stock and simmer until it is thickened. Add the shank meat back to the stock, stir to combine then refrigerate to cool while preparing the pastry.

Cut out 2 circles of pastry, the first large enough to line the base and sides of the pie dish and the other to match the top of the pie dish. Line the tin with the bigger pastry circle.

Spoon in the filling and brush the lip of the exposed pastry with the egg. Cover with the pastry lid then use your thumbs or the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Brush with more egg wash, decorate if desired and cut 2-3 small steam holes in the lid with the tip of a sharp knife.

Chill while the oven heats to 180°C then cook for 45-50 minutes until golden.