INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground American Lamb
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
¼ cup cubed pancetta
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ pound sliced fresh chanterelle mushrooms (or any mushrooms)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
¼ cup port, or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ cups broth of your choice
10 phyllo pastry sheets
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add the lamb. Cook, stirring, until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour off some fat, if desired. Add the butter, the onion, tomato paste, pancetta, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and spices, and cook until the onions are soft, and the flavors have melded, 5 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the port, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, and pour in the broth. Stir, and simmer until thickened. Remove and discard the bay leaf, and allow it to cool slightly. Note: USDA recommends ground lamb be cooked to an internal temp of 160 degrees.
Brush a 9 -inch pie dish with olive oil, and layer sheets of phyllo pastry in the dish, turning it as you go, and brushing each sheet with olive oil until the phyllo has covered the entire dish. (Olive oil spray is great for this!) Pour in the lamb filling, and bring the overlap up, scrunching it around the edges. Brush the phyllo with olive oil, and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite sides!
