Curried Lamb and Potatoes

Christmas. The family together. Luc home for three weeks, and the house is complete in the way that a puzzle is complete when the missing piece returns: you didn't notice the gap until it was filled, and then you can't believe you lived with the gap at all.

Réveillon at the cottage. The same and not the same. Mama is sixty-seven. She cooked, but Rémy did more of the work than she did, and nobody mentioned it because the not-mentioning is the kindness, and the kindness is the scaffolding, and the scaffolding is the family.

Gifts: Luc got a new cast-iron Dutch oven for his dorm (he's outgrown the skillet — he's making stews now, expanding his range, becoming). Colette got a photography class voucher. Rémy got a leather-bound journal. A JOURNAL. To write his own recipes. His own voice. His own chain link, in his own handwriting, starting now. He opened it and held it and said, "Like yours and Mamaw's?" And I said, "Yours. Your recipes. Your stories." And he opened to the first page and wrote: "Rémy's Recipes. Started December 25, 2022." And the chain added a link. And the link was leather-bound. And the future was in his hands.

Rémy held that journal for a long time before he wrote anything in it, and I kept thinking: the first recipe he writes down should be something worthy of the blank page. This curried lamb and potatoes was on the table that same night — warm and deep and a little unexpected, the kind of dish that earns a place in the rotation not by being simple but by being right. If he’s going to start his own chain, this is a strong first link.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken or lamb broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
Steamed basmati rice or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

Brown the lamb. Pat lamb pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the lamb on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pieces to a plate and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Bloom the spices. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne directly to the onion mixture. Stir constantly for 1 minute to toast the spices in the oil, coating the onions well.
Build the braise. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the browned lamb (and any accumulated juices) to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the lamb begins to turn tender.
Add the potatoes. Nestle the potato quarters into the pot, pressing them gently into the braising liquid. Cover and continue to simmer for an additional 25–30 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender and the lamb is fully yielding.
Adjust and finish. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, uncover and simmer on medium for 5–10 minutes to reduce slightly. Scatter fresh cilantro over the top before serving.
Serve. Ladle into wide bowls over steamed basmati rice or alongside crusty bread to catch every bit of the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Curried Lamb and Potatoes — The Réveillon Dish Rémy Will Write Down First