How to Make Irish Dingle Pie

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This post was originally published on April 5, 2018.

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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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  It was originally made with mutton, and is often made in round individual hand pies.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.

Making Traditional Dingle Pie Pasties

• 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.

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 a week 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 this?

• Green salad
• Roasted potatoes
• Dinner rolls
• Fresh fruit

Pastry Variations

Don’t want to use the traditional hot water crust pastry?  Try these other variations and see what you like best.

• Shortcrust pastry
• Biscuits
• Dumplings

How to Make Dingle Pie

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.

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 cheat and 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 up to a week.

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.

Our Go-To Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

• 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.

Looking for other delicious savory dinners?  Your family will enjoy these ones!

• Steak and Ale Pie: a British classic comfort food everyone should know how to make.
• Corned Beef Pie: this old fashioned dish uses flavorful corned beef and lots of healthy vegetables.
• Cheesy Ham & Potato Pie: leftover ham, potatoes, and cheese sauce is baked under a beautiful cheese pastry.

The pleasure of a 5-star review for this recipe would be greatly appreciated.

How to Make Irish Dingle Pie

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5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x

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Description

Learn how to make Irish dingle pie with this comfort food dinner recipe.  This hearty pie is packed with root veggies and leftover roasted lamb—all baked under a beautiful golden crust of hot water pastry.  Splurge and enjoy a slice of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day or throughout the year.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Lamb Filling

• 2 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped (360g)
• 2 cups carrot, sliced (245g)
• 1 2/3 cups parsnip, finely diced (217g)
• 2 cups roasted lamb leg or mutton, cubed (300g)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced (292g)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
• 2 cups beef stock (500 ml)
• 1/2 lamb drippings or beef stock (118 ml)
• 2 tablespoons fresh curly parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Hot Water Pastry

• 1/2 cup water (118 ml)
• scant 1/2 cup lard (90g)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (275g)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, beaten (for glazing)

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Instructions

Making the Filling (45 minutes + 20 minutes cooking)

1. Finely chop the onions, carrots, and parsnips and cube the roasted lamb.
2. 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.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two, then pour in the lamb drippings and beef stock and stir to combine.
4. Let the mixture simmer while you peel and cube the potatoes, then add them and the cubed lamb to the mixture.
5. Mince the fresh parsley and chop the thyme leaves.  Season the lamb filling with the fresh herbs, Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground black pepper.
6. 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.
7. 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 minutes)

1. Heat the water and lard in a small saucepan until the water is just boiling and the lard has melted.
2. While the water is heating, sift the flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Once the water is boiling, immediately pour it into the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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Notes

• The pleasure of a 5-star review of this recipe would be greatly appreciated.
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Want to see our latest recipes?  Subscribe to our email newsletter to get our latest recipes, fun food facts, food puns, and behind the scenes news about our blog.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Irish

Keywords: irish, lamb pie, dingle pie

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