Imagine the rocky cliffs and beautiful green hills of Dingle, a city in County Kerry, Ireland. Under gray skies, sheep and cows calmly graze in emerald pastures bordered by trees and shrubbery. This peaceful countryside is the home of dingle pie, a hearty hot water crust pastry-topped dish filled with flavorful lamb and root vegetables.
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Questions
What is dingle pie?
It's a rustic lamb dish from the Dingle Peninsula, a beautiful sheep-raising area of Ireland. It was originally made with mutton, and is often made in round individual hand pies. Farmers, shepherds, and fishermen ate these tasty morsels for lunch, while fairgoers enjoyed eating them at celebrations.
Is this recipe gluten free?
Neither the lamb filling nor the hot water crust pastry are gluten free. You can thicken the stew with cornstarch or other gluten-free thickener, and you can use gluten free all-purpose flour for the pastry. The filling is basically a lamb stew, which would be delicious without the pastry.
Can I make this ahead of time?
- Yes, you can make it ahead of time.
- It will keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For best flavor, make the filling ahead of time. Make fresh pastry and bake it on the day you want to serve it.
How long does dingle pie keep in the fridge?
It can keep for up to 7 days in the fridge. Just make sure it's tightly covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Can you freeze this?
- Yes, you can freeze it.
- I'd recommend freezing the filling by itself and baking it with the pastry once it's defrosted.
- Store the cooled filling in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight or in the microwave, then top with fresh pastry and bake.
What do you serve with dingle pie?
- Green salad
- Roasted potatoes
- Dinner rolls
- Fresh fruit
How to Make
Gather the ingredients. Lots of good veggies here!
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Chop the onions and add them to the pot, sautéing them until golden and soft.
Add the sliced carrots and finely diced parsnips and cook for a minute.
Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
Pour in the lamb drippings and beef broth, then let it simmer while you peel and dice the potatoes.
Add the peeled and diced potatoes, cubed lamb, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper to the pot. Mix well and simmer for 30 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the liquid has thickened from the potato starch.
Spoon the filling into a 6-cup enamel dish and let it cool while you make the hot water crust pastry. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, then top the filling with the pastry and brush with beaten egg.
Bake at 400 F for 40-45 minutes, until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Let it cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour on a wire rack to allow the filling to set, then serve warm.
Are you curious to try a slice of Ireland? Even if you can't travel there for vacation, you can enjoy this delicious Irish recipe at home as you dream of Ireland.
Variations
Want to use a different pastry?
Try these other variations and see what you like best.
- Shortcrust pastry
- Biscuits
- Dumplings
Want to make it in a traditional pasty shape instead?
- Use hot water crust or shortcrust pastry. These are both good choices. Hot water crust is the preferred choice because it’s a much stronger pastry.
- Use mutton fat in the pastry instead of butter. Old fashioned cooks were frugal and didn’t want to throw out perfectly good mutton fat.
- Roll out the pastry in small circles, and place the raw filling on top.
- Brush the edges of the pastry disc with beaten egg, then top with another disc of pastry.
- Press the edges to seal and roll up the edges to create the crust. Poke a couple vent holes in the top.
Pro Tips
- Taste the filling as it cooks and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Pressed for time? Make the filling ahead and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. You can even freeze the filling in a zip-top freezer bag.
- Don't use store-bought pastry. Hot water crust is ridiculously easy to make, and its flavor and texture can't be substituted.
- Use the hot water crust pastry while it's still warm. Keep it in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water to keep it hot.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Recommended Tools
- Falcon Enamelware Dish: a classic dish that's perfect for making beautiful pies.
- Emeril Lagasse Dutch Oven: we've used and loved this heavy-bottomed pot for years.
- Pastry Brushes: these well-made brushes don't lose their bristles easily.
- Metal Sieves: these durable sieves won't get bent out of shape.
Other Savory Pie Recipes
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Recipe
How to Make Irish Dingle Pie
Ingredients
For the Lamb Filling
- 2 ½ cups yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups carrot, sliced
- 1 ⅔ cups parsnip, finely diced
- 2 cups roasted lamb leg or mutton, cubed
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- ½ cup lamb drippings or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh curly parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Hot Water Pastry
- ½ cup water
- scant ½ cup lard
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, beaten (for glazing)
Instructions
Making the Filling (45 min + 20 min cooking)
- Finely chop the onions, carrots, and parsnips and cube the roasted lamb.
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then saute the onions until soft. Add the carrots and parsnips and saute for a couple minutes longer.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two, then pour in the lamb drippings and beef stock and stir to combine.
- Let the mixture simmer while you peel and cube the potatoes, then add them and the cubed lamb to the mixture.
- Mince the fresh parsley and chop the thyme leaves. Season the lamb filling with the fresh herbs, Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Let the filling simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and the potatoes to cook until fork tender.
- Spoon the cooked filling into a 6-cup (1.5 liter) enamel dish and set aside to cool slightly as you make the pastry.
Making the Hot Water Pastry (15 min)
- Heat the water and lard in a small saucepan until the water is just boiling and the lard has melted.
- While the water is heating, sift the flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
- Once the water is boiling, immediately pour it into the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Allow the pastry to cool for a minute or two before rolling out, but don't let it get completely cold, or it will not be workable.
- Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg, then roll out the pastry until it's large enough to cover the dish. Lay the pastry lid on top, press the edges to seal, and trim off the excess pastry.
- Brush the whole pie with beaten egg and decorate with the leftover pastry. Cut several large vent holes in the top.
Baking the Pie (35 minutes)
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Bake at 400 F for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Check it occasionally as it bakes, since the pastry may puff up in places. If it does, open up one of the vent holes with the tip of a knife to release the steam buildup.
- Allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes (preferably 45-60 minutes) before serving to allow the filling to set.
Notes
- Only use russet potatoes. Other types aren't as starchy, and they won't thicken the stew as much.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Make the filling ahead of time, then top with pastry and bake when you're ready to serve. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Don't use store-bought pastry. Hot water crust is ridiculously easy to make, and its flavor and texture can't be substituted.
- Use the hot water crust when it's warm. Keep it in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water to keep it hot.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on April 5, 2018.
Denise M
I was unable to find parsnips in my area, so I opted for Leeks instead. I Used 1 Vidalia onion and 2 shallots instead of the full amount of onion because of the leeks. I also increased all other ingredients by 1/3 which filled a 9x13 Baking dish perfectly. This was the first time I made a hot water pastry crust and I really liked it and agree a store bought crust wouldn't do this pie justice! We loved the pie! I'll try making it with parsnips when I can find some, but the leek version was mighty tasty too!
Denise M
oh my 9x13 was a deep dish baking dish (probably would have been too much in a regular one with the increase in ingredients)
Emma
I'm glad you enjoyed the pie, Denise! Hot water crust really can't be substituted with store bought pastry.
Deb
The inside is great. However, the dough came out crumbly - not enough liquid for this amount of flour. I went with it, and it is thick and doughy. I followed the recipe exactly.
Emma
I'm sorry to hear that, Deb--the pastry has always worked out fine for me. The amount of liquid in a dough can vary depending upon the humidity and brand of flour. Since I live in a very humid climate, I might need to add less water to bring the dough together. Hope this helps!
Patricia OConnell
I don't understand how you can keep this in the fridge for a week?
Emma
A week was a little typo in the recipe; I would only recommend keeping it in the fridge for 3-5 days. However, this pie is so good that it may not last that long!