Ground Lamb Personal Pot Pies

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb
• ½ cup sweet onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, wiped clean
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Pastry for pot pies

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add lamb, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until most of the pink is gone. Spoon off fat, add onion and mushrooms, and cook until they are softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary; set it aside.

Pastry

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg, for egg wash

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt several times to mix. Add the butter and process until it is pea size. Add ice water and process until the pastry forms a ball. Do not overmix. Remove the pastry, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill four 8-ounce ramekins with the lamb mixture. Roll out the pastry on a floured pastry cloth or counter and divide it into four pieces. Cover each ramekin with pastry, trimming the edges with a ¾-inch overhang, and crimp the edges. Pierce the pastry several times with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

Whisk the egg with a fork and brush the egg wash over the top of the pastry. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the pastry is golden brown.

Yield: 4 servings