A BOLTON chef has created a unique new recipe for Easter — a lamb and mint chocolate pie.

Tom Bridge teamed up with master chocolatier Paul Williams to create three new pies for Easter, each with a hint of chocolate.

The recipes included Lamb and Potato Ragu Pie with Dark Chocolate; Butlers Blacksticks Blue Cheese and Onion Pie with Milk Chocolate; and Chicken and Mushroom Pie with White Chocolate, Garlic, Coffee and hint of Chilli.

Mr Bridge, who often lends his baking expertise to Holland's Pies, said: “This Lancashire collaboration has been a great experience, using my knowledge of pies with Paul’s chocolate skills – we have created a real treat for Holland’s fans to bake over the Easter period."

Mr Williams, of Choc Amor in Tarleton, added: “My passion for food and creative cooking have had a huge influence on the chocolate I create and sell.

"This project has allowed me to marry my passion and expertise with Tom’s passion for pies to create some really unique recipes. Using chocolate can result in flavours that sound wrong but once tasted are so right.”

LAMB AND POTATO RAGU PIES WITH MINT CHOCOLATE SAUCE

58% Belgium Dark Chocolate from Choc Amor

Ingredients

2.2kg (5lb) whole shoulder of lamb,

with bone

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

3 tablespoons olive oil

100g Beef dripping

2 onions, sliced

1 kg diced King Edward potatoes

1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken stock

2 tablespoons plain flour

a pinch of sugar

gravy browning (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Mint chocolate sauce

a small bunch of mint, leaves only, finely chopped

4 tablespoons clear honey or golden syrup

4 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar

6 tablespoons melted 58% Dark chocolate

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

Put the lamb on a board. Mix the rosemary, oil and dripping together and season well. Rub over the lamb on both sides.

Put the onions, potatoes and stock into a small roasting tin, put a rack on top then place the lamb on it. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until browned then reduce the temperature to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Cover with foil and continue to roast for 3-4 hours, basting from time to time until completely tender and the meat is falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, prepare the mint sauce. Mix the finely chopped mint with the honey, vinegar and melted chocolate.

Remove the foil and place the lamb on a plate to rest while you make the gravy. Remove the potatoes and pour the pan juices and softened onion into a jug. Skim off the fat into a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of the fat in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Pour the stock and onions through a sieve into the saucepan, pressing the onions with the back of a spoon to get as much of their liquid into the gravy as possible. Add about 300ml (1?2 pint) of boiling water to the gravy and whisk until thickened and smooth. Add a pinch of sugar, seasoning to taste, and a little gravy browning if too pale. Cut the lamb into small pieces , add the gravy to the lamb and make up the pastry from the recipe below and serve with the mint chocolate sauce.

For the Shortcrust Pastry

350g / 12 oz Plain flour

Pinch of sea salt

55g/ 2 oz lard

100g / 4 oz butter

80ml / 5 tbsp cold water, approx

Sift the flour with the salt. Rub in the lard and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add the water to the mixture. Mix to a firm dough.

Chill for 20 minutes and then let it relax for 10 minutes after rolling out.

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 400f /200c/gas 6

Prepare the pastry recipe, set aside one-third for the lids.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out six large circles to fit in the pie tins and six smaller circles for the lids.

Line the tins with the large circles of pastry.

Place in the lamb and potatoes

Cover the tops with the remaining circles of pastry. Make a small hole in the centre of each pie.

Glaze with beaten egg and place the pies onto a baking sheet.

Bake the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.

BUTLERS BLACKSTICKS BLUE CHEESE AND ONION PIE WITH MILK CHOCOLATE

32% Milk Chocolate from Choc Amor

INGREDIENTS

1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes

2 onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

50ml whole milk

50ml double cream

100ml Chocolate sauce

150g Butlers Blackstick Blue cheese, grated

1/2 tsp English mustard

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Short crust pastry (see recipe above)

METHOD

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potato pieces to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, then drain well and set aside.

In a separate saucepan boil 15 floz /425ml water, add the sliced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Drain well and return the cooked onions to the saucepan.

Sprinkle the onions with the flour and stir well to coat. Add the milk, cream and chocolate sauce; heat the mixture over a medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the cooked potato pieces, grated cheese, mustard and cayenne pepper and stir well. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir the filling well, and then set it aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 350f /180c/gas 4

Prepare the pastry recipe, set aside one-third for the lids.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out six large circles to fit in the pie tins and six smaller circles for the lids.

Line the tins with the large circles of pastry.

Divide the cheese and onion filling equally into the pie tins.

Cover the tops with the remaining circles of pastry. Make a small hole in the centre of each pie.

Glaze with beaten egg and place the pies onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 35 minutes in the centre of the oven.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE, GARLIC, COFFEE AND HINT OF CHILLI

With Choc Amor’s White Chocolate made up of 30% Cocoa Butter and 15% Milk Solid

INGREDIENTS

200ml chicken stock

250g sliced mushrooms

1 tsp crushed garlic

2 tablespoons of strong cold coffee

50ml white chocolate sauce with a hint of chilli

300g/11oz Free range chicken breasts fillets, cut into small pieces

3/4 tsp salt

3tbsp plain flour

100ml/4fl oz milk

Freshly ground pepper

Short crust pastry (see recipe above)

METHOD

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a saucepan and add mushrooms, garlic, coffee and white chocolate with the chicken and salt. Boil, covered, over a low heat for approx. 1 min.

Stir together flour and half of the milk in a bowl. Add remaining milk and add this thickening mixture to the sauce while stirring. Boil over a low heat and while stirring for about a minute. Season with pepper. Allow to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 400f /200c/gas 6

Prepare the pastry recipe, set aside one-third for the lids.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out six large circles to fit in the pie tins and six smaller circles for the lids.

Line the tins with the large circles of pastry.

Place in the chicken mixture into the pastry cases.

Cover the tops with the remaining circles of pastry. Make a small hole in the centre of each pie.

Glaze with beaten egg and place the pies onto a baking sheet.

Bake the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.