Easter recipes: eight easy main courses that are not roast lamb

You don't need lamb to make a spectacular Easter feast. Here are eight alternatives to lamb for Sunday 

Delicious alternatives to roast lamb for Easter Sunday.

Meat

Puff pastry beef pie

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

With a puff pastry lid, this pie is an easy but delicious main course

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 40 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• dash of olive oil

• 500g stewing beef

• 2 onions, finely sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 medium carrots chopped

• bunch of thyme, chopped

• bunch of rosemary, chopped

• 350ml stock, hot

• 150ml red wine

• 350g puff pastry

• 1 egg yolk

• small dash of milk

Method

1. Season the flour and pour into a bowl. Toss the beef in the flour until it is coated all over. Heat the oil in large pan and fry the onion until it is turning translucent, add the garlic and carrots and fry on a low heat for another minute. Remove from the pan.

2. Add the meat to the same oil on a slightly higher heat and fry until it has browned all over. Now add the onions, carrots and garlic back in with the herbs, stock and wine. Leave to bubble away on a low heat for 45 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Heat the oven to 180°C. Pour the contents of the pan into an oven proof dish. Cover the top with a layer of the puff pastry. Pinch the pastry in at the edges of the dish and trim any that hangs over the edge. Cut a slit in the centre of the pie. You can decorate the top of the pie with the pieces you trimmed from the edge.

4. Mix the egg yolk with the same amount of milk and stir well. Brush the mixture over the pastry. Bake for 35 minutes until the pastry is golden.