- 4 lamb neck fillets, trimmed of fat and sinew
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
- 250g/9oz lamb mince
- 3 dried chipotle chillies, soaked in water overnight and blended to a purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
- plain flour, for dusting
- 8 sheets ready-made filo pastry
- 50g/2oz butter, melted
- 1 roasted red pepper, cut into quarters
- minted garden peas
- steamed asparagus
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 5. Line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat.
- Season the lamb neck fillets all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb neck fillets and fry for 1-2 minutes, turning regularly, until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.
- Add two more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring well, for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool.
- Using your hands, mix together the lamb mince, puréed chipotle chillies, oregano and smoked paprika in a large bowl until well combined. Season, to taste, well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- When the onion and garlic mixture has cooled, work it into the lamb mince mixture using your hands, then divide the mixture into four and roll into patties.
- Working quickly, lay one sheet of filo pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface, with the shortest edge facing you. Brush all over with a little melted butter, then place another sheet of filo pastry on top and brush all over with more butter.
- Place one of the roasted pepper quarters 5cm/2in from the bottom of the filo pastry sheets. Place one of the patties on top of the pepper and a seared lamb neck fillet on top of that.
- Fold the long edges of the filo pastry over the filling, brushing the non-buttered sides with melted butter. Fold the short edges over the filling, pressing down to seal and form a parcel. Transfer the parcel to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining filo pastry, melted butter, roasted peppers, lamb patties and lamb fillets to create four parcels.
- Bake the lamb parcels in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the oven, cover the tray with aluminium foil and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- To serve, place one parcel into the centre of each of four serving plates. Serve with seasonal vegetables such as minted garden peas and steamed asparagus.