1. Preheat oven to 150C.

2. Place a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the olive oil then the onions and garlic cloves and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients except the feta.

3. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven and cook for four to five hours or until the lamb is soft and pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from the heat, place the lamb in a large bowl and shred with a fork. Place the shredded meat in a deep-sided pie dish (about 25cm round x 5cm deep) and add five to seven tablespoons of the cooking liquid – you don't want the mixture to be runny, but you do want some liquid so that the meat doesn't dry out when you bake the pie. Crumble the feta over the lamb mixture.

4. Gently pull apart the kataifi pastry to loosen the strands, and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil and, using your hands, gently toss the strands to coat them in the oil. Arrange the kataifi pastry evenly over the lamb and feta, pat down lightly, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve hot, sprinkled with a few basil leaves (if using).

*Frozen kataifi pastry is available from gourmet grocers

More new pies to try