Braised Cardamom-Curry Lamb

My blog entry is way overdue but here I am...finally! This week's entry was found on page 283 in "Around My French Table".

I am realizing I have never in my life experienced such cooking adventures since joining French Fridays With Dorie this past summer.  What a fun and satisfying experience.  Lovin' it!  This is better than 3 years of high school Home Ec. (It would have been 4 years but I'd already taken all they had.)  I have to say that, even though we didn't venture much beyond Baked Alaska and how to properly set the table with lots of extra glasses, plates, flatware and fancily folded napkins, I learned how to read a recipe, by gosh.  And I practiced mise en place, even though we didn't call it that.

Chopped onion and home-grown Egyptian mint

So here I find myself with a lamb shoulder. I am thankful to the lamb and I am happy to be using my beloved cardamom pods. Especially since they are pricey and sitting in limbo in my well-filled spice cabinet. I am thankful I have no fewer than 4 flavors of mint planted around my yard. And yes, I planted it. We don't have crazy, wild-growing, taking-over-everything mint fluorishing without effort here in my yard.  I guess some people do.  I don't believe I've ever bought a dried fig that wasn't inside it's Newton, either. Woohoo!

Following Dorie's beautifully written text, I prepared what became a beautiful and aromatic stew. Even the non curry-loving hubby ate heartily.  The addition of honey, apples, dried figs and raisins are a nice balance to the ample amount of curry. The onion, garlic, baby potatoes and cardamom provide a great base for the layers of flavors. The lamb was melt in your mouth.  We had ours with roasted broccoli and sour dough bread. 

Hearty and delicious!