
A hearty twist on the classic Greek pie, featuring tender slow-cooked lamb shoulder and vibrant spinach wrapped in crispy, golden filo pastry. This savory pie is packed with aromatic spices, salty feta, and toasted pine nuts for a truly impressive meal.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large casserole pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chunks and fry for 5–7 minutes until deeply browned on all sides. Pour in the stock, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 1.5 hours, or until the lamb is tender enough to fall apart.
While the lamb stews, heat the remaining oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan. Sauté the sliced onions with a large pinch of salt for 15–20 minutes until golden and caramelized. Stir in the crushed garlic, ground coriander, cumin, and ground cinnamon, cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove the lamb from its liquid (reserve the liquid), shred the meat using two forks, and stir it into the onion mixture along with 50ml of the reserved stewing liquid.
Place the spinach in a pan with 1 tablespoon of water and cook for 3–4 minutes until wilted. Transfer the spinach to a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then roughly chop it. Stir the chopped spinach into the lamb and onion mixture along with the crumbled feta, chopped mint, toasted pine nuts, and the beaten egg. Season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). Brush a 22cm round springform tin with some melted butter. Layer four sheets of filo pastry across the tin, allowing the edges to overhang, and brush with more butter. Spoon in the lamb filling and fold the overhanging pastry over the top. Scrunch up the remaining filo sheets, place them on top of the pie, and brush with the rest of the melted butter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 45–50 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
To prevent the filo pastry from drying out while you work, keep the unused sheets covered with a damp clean tea towel. For a crispier base, you can preheat a baking tray and place the cake tin directly onto it.





