Where do I start? I could start with another anecdote about how I’m such a picky eater and that I’d never enjoyed lamb until the summer we went wine-touring with some friends in the Okanagan, British Columbia, and they’d brought along some lamb chops and lamb roasts from their own parents’ farm. They knew how to cook it to perfection and it was lovely and rich, not at all gamey and slightly nauseating the way I’d attempted to cook it myself, so I was completely won over.

Or I could tell you how I went to my favourite butcher for the lamb in this recipe and asked for 3lbs of lamb shoulder-butt, but they didn’t have any because that cut is usually so fatty, it’s not worth the money. They sold me some chopped up leg of lamb instead and when I asked for 3lbs of that, they were like, “That’ll be about $35 and would probably feed 6 linebackers…” So I settled for 2lbs and went home elated that I didn’t have to trim off any fat for my dinner!

How about this funny little story? My dinner guests that night were some friends we’d caught up with the night before as well at the Toronto Food + Wine Expo, where we proceeded to get absolutely smashed on all the wines, spirits and yes, absinthe. Ooohh, the absinthe. The second that stuff hit my tongue, I thought, “This might have been a mistake…” Things got really surreal after the absinthe, as they are wont to do which is probably part of that dangerous spirit’s appeal, but I clearly remember turning into a Monica Geller bossy-pants at the macaron kiosk and educating some of the patrons that macarons are made from almonds, not to be confused with coconut macaroons. Good thing Jon promptly got me out of there and onto the subway where I proceeded to sleep all the way home. A few Advil and a large glass of water before bed and I was good to go for braised lamb the next day!

This was so delicious, the 4 of us ate almost all of it, though linebackers we are not. I thought it would be delicious with Yorkshire puddings, and boy was I right! I’ve thought about this a lot over the past few weeks and a reprise might be in order…

If I had posted this in a timely manner, you would have been able to see it back in November when it came up on French Fridays with Dorie. I encourage you to buy Around My French Table for the recipe!

Cheers,
Karla

Tags: apples, braise, cardamom, curry, French, lamb, potatoes, stew