Spiced shepherd's pie with butterbean crust

If lamb siniyah is a Middle Eastern take on the Shepherd's pie, then this is my North African take, with a butterbean mash standing in for the potatoes. It's rich, comforting and hearty, needing little more than a green salad or roasted carrots alongside.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Put 3 tablespoons of oil into a large, heavy-based pan, for which you have a lid, and place on a medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté for
   5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Increase the heat to high and add the lamb, cumin, allspice, half the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of salt. Fry for
   5 minutes, until browned, stirring every now and then, then add the tomato paste, harissa and apricots. Fry for another
   2 minutes, then pour over the stock and wine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for
   30 minutes. Once cooked, set aside to cool, then add the olives. Spoon into a 20 x 25 cm ovenproof high-sided dish and refrigerate for at least half an hour. This will firm the meat up, making it easier to spread the mash on top.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
3. To make the mash, mix the butterbeans in a bowl with the remaining lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the tahini paste, 3 tablespoons of water, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a grind of black pepper. Use a potato masher to mash the beans; they don't need to be completely smooth, just spreadable. Spread the mash over the lamb, then use a spoon to make a few shallow dips. Drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of oil and bake for
   30 minutes until nicely coloured and bubbly. Rest for
   10 minutes before serving.

SIMPLE by Ottolenghi