Meat Pie of Chania

INGREDIENTS

  • 1,200 gr. lamb leg, cut into portions
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 250 gr. pychtogalo of Chania or buttermilk (galotyri)
  • 250 gr. anthotyro cheese
  • 250 gr. tyromalama or goat graviera of Crete
  • 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, only the leaves
  • lemon zest
  • 1 spring of rosemary, only the leaves
  • 100 gr. butter or staka, cut in small pieces

For the dough

IMPLEMENTATION

In a saucepan with salted water over medium to high heat, cook the meat for 1 hour while stirring whenever needed. When the meat is tender and ready, remove from the heat and let it cool. Strain the broth and let it cool before using. Clean the meat from the bones, cut it into small pieces and set aside for later. Add 150 ml. from the broth and the yeast into the mixing bowl. CAUTION – the broth should be cold!!! Mix with a mixing wire or a fork well until the yeast dissolves. Then add all the other ingredients for the dough and mix together until you have а soft and homogeneous dough which comes off the walls of the bowl. Leave the dough to rest for half an hour. Grease a round pan with a diameter of approximately 30 cm. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Spread the largest piece in a sheet with the help of a rolling pin and extra flour to produce a sheet which covers the bottom and sides of the baking tray. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Spread the meat evenly on the bottom of the tray on top of the dough. In a bowl put the buttermilk (or galotyri), cream cheese, goat graviera, thyme, lemon zest, rosemary, salt, pepper and mix well. Spread the cheese mixture over the meat and finally sprinkle the butter or staka over the filling. Afterwards spread the other part of the dough into a sheet with the help of the rolling pin and a little more flour and use it to cover the pie. Join the edges of the two sheets by pinching with your fingers then glaze with the remaining olive oil. Lightly slice the top of the pie before baking.

Preheat the oven to 170 C before putting the tray in. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the surface has a nice golden color.

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