A West Indian Lamb Curry

Once again I am inspired by Melissa Clark of the New York Times, who teaches us about marinating lamb in an onion pureé to flavor a Caribbean curry.  An old Welch friend taught me this technique a long time ago for Indian curries - a general technique, it infuses the meat deeply with flavor.  I depart from Melissa in selecting my own herbs and spices for this curry (and I don't prefer potatoes in my lamb curry), but maintain the essence of the West Indies for sure.
3-1/2 to 4 lb boneless lamb, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
palmful fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp favorite curry powder
1/2 Tbsp smokey Spanish pimenton paprika
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground sumac
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 can tomato paste
1 stick cinnamon
1 quart water, plus or minus - just to cover the meat

Place onion, garlic, ginger, mint, thyme and oil in a blender.

Pureé to a fine pulp.

Place lamb in a large bowl and pour onion pureé over lamb.

Mix well. Add spices to lamb mixture.

Mix well again. Wrap with plastic wrap and allow to marinate at least 2 hours, or oversight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, heat a dash of canola oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown the lamb cubes in batches, with good air space in between each to allow them to brown up nicely. Transfer lamb to a bowl as it cooks. After the last batch of lamb, add the carrots to the Dutch oven and sauté them for about 5 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes, to develop the tomato flavors.

Now return the lamb and the cinnamon stick to the pot and add just enough water to almost cover the meat.

Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce to a low simmer. Cook on stove top or a 375F oven for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every once in a while. If necessary, remove the top to allow some water to evaporate, to make a nice thick curry. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve with rice.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's Note:  Sumac is a Mediterranean spice with a tangy lemony flavor.  It is NOT from the variety in North America that many people are allergic to - and is used in many Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes.  Its not a must for this curry, but could be substituted for the juice and zest of a lemon or a lime in the marinade.

This curry is even better the next day, so don't hesitate to prepare the day before you serve or have guests - it will only be better.