Spinach & Honeyed Pear Salad with Mustard Dressing

3 pears, quartered and cored ⅓ cup honey, slightly warmed finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

180g spinach, stems removed, washed and dried Mustard Dressing (recipe follows)

Heat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a low-sided roasting tray. Cut each pear quarter into 2 or 3 wedges. Put the pears on the tray and add the honey, lemon zest and juice. Toss together until all the slices are well-coated. Spread out the pear slices on the tray, then roast for 10-15 minutes or until nearly soft. Remove the pears (and any residual juices) from the tray while still hot.

Arrange the pears and their juices on a platter and intersperse them with spinach leaves. Drain some red onion from the Mustard Dressing (below) and scatter over the salad. Serve the salad with dressing on the side. Serves 6

MUSTARD DRESSING

Macerate 1 small, finely chopped red onion in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon flaky salt for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, then slowly whisk in 125ml olive oil. Season to taste.

COOK’S TIP: Use mature spinach leaves rather than baby ones — they have more flavour and don’t wilt.

Heat the oven to 180°C. Roll each lamb shank in flour and shake to remove excess. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan (or in an ovenproof casserole dish) set over medium heat.

Brown the lamb shanks on all sides (do this in batches). Transfer them to a heavy-based casserole and add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Pour in the red wine and enough beef stock or water to just cover the shanks.

Cover the casserole tightly and bake for two hours or until the meat is just about falling off the bone.

Remove the shanks from the stock and cool. Pull the meat from the bones and set it aside. Pour the stock through a sieve and discard vegetables and herbs. Leave the stock to cool and allow fat to set on the surface. When completely cold, remove the fat with a spoon. Chill meat and stock until ready to use.

To assemble the pie, grease a rectangular or large round pie dish (preferably ceramic) with baking spray. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned. Add the flour and tomato paste and cook gently for 2-3 minutes or until the flour begins to smell nutty. Stir in the brown sugar and lower the heat. Slowly whisk in the stock to make a medium-thick sauce. Simmer for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Add the lemon juice and allow it to cool. To speed up the cooling process, transfer the sauce to a low-sided plastic container and put it in the fridge.

Place the kūmara, pulled lamb meat and parsley into the prepared pie dish and gently toss together. Pour the cooled sauce on top. Season to taste.

Heat the oven to 200°C. Trim the pastry to slightly larger than the pie dish, then drape it over the pie dish. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg white. Cut a hole in the centre of the pastry (large enough to insert a decorative pie funnel — or a rolled aluminium foil vent covered with a piece of pastry). Cut the remaining pastry into 2cm strips and make a generous frill around the pie edge.

Leave the pie to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Combine egg yolk with water and brush over the pastry. Cut 4-5 slits in the pastry lid, then bake the pie for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. If using a foil vent, remove before serving. Serves 6