Ingredients

serves 4

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 pound lamb stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　1 medium onion, finely chopped

　　2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　4 ounces white button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

　　1 piece (1 inch) peeled fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

　　1 tablespoon fresh thyme, coarsely chopped

　　Pinch of ground cloves

　　1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought lamb or beef stock

　　1/2 cup dry red wine

　　4 ounces pitted prunes, halved

　　Short Pastry Crust (recipe follows)

　　All-purpose flour, for work surface

　　1 tablespoon heavy cream

　　1 large egg yolk

　　

Short Pastry Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

　　1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

　　(makes enough for four 5-inch double-crust pies or one 13 x 4 1/2-inch double-crust pie)

　　

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Cook the lamb until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the ginger, thyme, cloves, lamb, stock, wine, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer; cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer until the lamb is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the prunes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 2

Divide the dough in half. Wrap half in plastic; refrigerate until ready to use. Roll out other dough half on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 4 6-inch rounds. Transfer 1 round to each of 4 5-inch pie plates. Divide the stew among the pies. Roll out the remaining dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 4 7-inch rounds. Randomly punch out circles from the rounds with a 1/2-inch round pastry tip (such as Ateco #806). Cover each pie with a round. Tuck the edges under; press gently to seal. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk the cream and egg yolk in a small bowl. Brush the crusts with egg wash. Bake the pies on a rimmed baking sheet until crusts are golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

　　

Short Pastry Crust

Step 4

Pulse the flour, salt, butter, and shortening in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, drizzle in 1/4 cup water until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not process for more than 20 seconds. Divide the dough in half; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.