Lamb Curry

Finally a conclusion to our delicious Indian dinner, lamb curry. I know many of you may not be fans of lamb and I completely understand. Lamb can be done wrong in so many ways with the outcome being dry and tasteless. If you've sworn off lamb I hope you reconsider and start with this recipe. This lamb curry is foolproof and ensures tender and succulent lamb. The reason for this is the long cooking time. Just like a beef stew, the longer you cook it, the more tender the meat will be so as long as you have a little time you really can't go wrong.

Curries in all of their forms are one of my favorite dishes. I often make a vegetarian version with chickpeas and vegetable stock in place of the beef broth but I really enjoy this lamb curry. Served with basmati or jasmine rice, it's a very comforting dish. So whether you go for lamb, beef, chickpeas or chicken, just go for it, I promise you will love it. And there you go, a perfect ending to our Indian inspired meal.

Recipe:
1 lb lamb shank, cut into 2" pieces
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, add more to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Alternately, to save time you can simply use 2 tablespoons premade curry powder + 1 teaspoon garam masala.


1. In a large dutch oven, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the lamb pieces to the hot oil and brown on all sides.
2. Remove the browned lamb and add the onions to the same pan. Saute onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the garlic to the sauteed onions and cook the onions and garlic another 3-4 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't brown.
4. Add all of the spices to the onion mixture, stir to combine and saute for about 5 minutes or until the spices become fragrant.
5. Add the lamb to the onion mixture along with the beef stock and bay leaf. Bring the curry to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer the curry for 1 1/2-2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the lamb becomes very tender. Remove the bay leaf and serve over rice.

Lamb Kebab on Rosemary Skewers

With a shoulder of lamb on hand and a fierce craving for Greek food, I thought lamb kebabs would hit the spot. We are very fortunate to have friends who supply us with organic lamb from their family farm. It is the most flavorful and succulent lamb we've ever had. So far this year I've made gorgeous lamb chops and my boyfriend smoked a leg of lamb which was so delicious that five of us were able to polish it off no problem. In both cases, we loved it so much that we didn't even have time to take photos. Next time, I promise.

I've always been intrigued about using rosemary sprigs as skewers and given that we were grilling lamb, what a great time to try them out. I was so excited to give them a go since I love fresh rosemary but I thought they would be a lot more difficult to use. Turns out, with a little sharpening of the ends of the rosemary tips, they were as simple to use as regular wooden skewers.

While eating these lamb kebabs my boyfriend and I repeated over and over, "this is so delicious, this is the only way we are eating lamb from now on!" The skewers were a perfect balance to the gorgeous lamb and don't even get me started on the amazing tzatziki from Kalyn's Kitchen we served it with. My intense craving for Greek food could have only been more satisfied had we actually visited the Country itself.

RECIPE:
1lb lamb shoulder, cubed (1")
8 thick, large rosemary skewers
1/4 tsp garlic, finely grated
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 TBSP olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the rosemary skewers in a large bowl. Toss everything together so the lamb cubes are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate the lamb for about an hour. Meanwhile, remove all of the rosemary leaves from the stem leaving about an inch of the leaves at the bottom of the stem. If the end of the stems aren't sharp enough to thread the lamb, use a pairing knife and peel away some of the stem into a point. Prepare your grill. After the lamb has marinated, remove from fridge and gently thread the meat onto the skewers. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve these with this fantastic Tzatziki and some pita.