I've been mostly cooking a LOT of lamb - and mostly I've been grilling it....

Lamb Omar Khayyam (because of the pomegranates) with grilled flatbread

The current favorite technique is to use a butterflied leg. Marinate it for at least four hours in a blend of red wine, balsamic vinegar, garlic, pepper, salt, pomegranite molasses, herbs de provence (crushed) and some liquid smoke.

Brush grill with oil. Direct grill, turning frequently so outside just starts to char and inside is just cooked perfectly (it is OK to cut into it to check - and safer, too.)

While you are grilling, grill some bread too. Any kind of bread dough that has risen once will do, but I have been very busy and getting lazy, so I have been using Trader Joe's ready made pizza dough ($1 per bag) and brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling on sea salt.

You also want a salad with this and maybe some rice if you don't want to do the bread. Red wine or beer go equally well.


Then, yesterday, I dug out a Maddhur Jaffrey cookbook and made a quick-and-dirty version of cardamon lamb curry with the leftovers from one of these feasts.

Quick-and-Dirty Lamb Curry

I browned onion ( a large one) and then ground up about 15 cardamon pods (all of it - outside as well) and tossed that in. Also about 2 inches of fresh ginger minced, then the lamb (about a pound, diced), let it fry with the lid on stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, then a large can of tomatoes and simmer for 20 mins with the lid off - add salt to taste. Serve with basmati rice, spinach and raita. Pretty darn good...