Jacques Pepin’s Amazing Spicy Lamb Curry with Apples and Potatoes

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One of the chef I admired the most is Jacques Pepin*. I have been following his work since watching his cook shows on PBS, and recently all of his wonderful short videos on FaceBook. I own many of his cookbooks. The man is a genius in the kitchen! This Lamb Curry with Apples and Potatoes recipe is one of my favorites for a hearty dinner. It is flavorful, spicy and not too hot!

This recipe uses lamb breasts, one of the least expensive cuts of lamb**. The lamb breast is usually quite fatty but extremely flavorful when cooked over a longer period of time. However, the fat can be rendered off, then cooked slowly to ensure the meat is tender and delicious.

My family and I really enjoy the taste of this dish. It’s a wonderful balance of lamb meat, with the sweetness imparted by the apples and onions, combined with the slightly starchy potatoes all simmering in a gloriously spicy saucy mixture. The curry tastes divine served with crusty bread, on top of a bed of rice, or with fresh roti or naan. We have eaten it with all!

So please join me as we cook up this delectable dish from start to finish. Let’s go!

* Please check out my other post on Jacques Pepin’s method of cooking using foil packet or en papillotte here => Quick Sausage En Papillote: Awesome Recipe from Jacques Pepin

**I’ve included a link to a guide that briefly talks about the various cuts of lamb at the end of this post.

Ingredients for Lamb Curry with Apple and Potatoes

You will need the following items for this Lamb Curry. I am listing the items roughly in the order in which it will be used in the recipe.

The base of this curry will be 2 pieces of lamb breasts, about 3 pounds total. They usually come in a strip like bone-in ribs.

For sweetness and texture, we will be using:
2 onions, chopped and 2 apples, skin on, cored and roughly chopped.

And for the curry sauce, we will need:
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ½ teaspoons salt. All of these 4 ingredients will form the paste. To that we will add roughly 3- 4 cups of water to create a beautiful simmering sauce.

Finally to add starchiness and to thicken the curry, we will be using
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

And, a last optional ingredient – 3 stalks of green onions, thinly sliced for garnishing the curry. I think a pop of green color really adds to the visual appeal of the curry. You can also use chopped cilantro or parsley.

In addition, you will need a large heavy-bottom pan. I used my large 5 quarts enameled cast iron braiser for this curry. I think it’s the perfect size for this curry. It also is the best stovetop to tabletop serveware to minimize clean up!

How to put together Lamb Curry

To start, let’s gather all the ingredients.

Preparing the lamb

We will prepare the lamb breast first. First, wash and pat dry the lamb breasts. Trim and remove most of the visible fat from the top of the lamb breasts, leaving the fell, or pink skin on top.

Next, cut each piece of breast between the ribs.

Cooking the lamb

Then, arrange the lamb ribs in one layer in a large dutch oven type pan (thick bottom pan) and cook them over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Make sure to cover the pan. Turn the lamb pieces every now and then, until all the surfaces are well browned.

This step will render and melt most of the fat from the lamb breasts.

Preparing the Apples and other ingredients

When waiting for the lamb to cook, start preparing the other ingredients. Trim and chop the onions. Then, core and coarsely chop the unpeeled apples.

Next, peel and quarter the potatoes. Cut larger potatoes into smaller pieces so that they cook evenly.

And then, slice the green onions or other greens (if using).

Putting it together

When ready, transfer the ribs to a plate, and discard the fat from the pan.

Next, add the prepared chopped onions to the pot and stir for a minute. Then place the browned lamb ribs back in the pot.

After that, add all the remaining ingredients – chopped apples, curry powder, chili powder, tomato paste, and salt to the pan.

Mix well, and add 3 cups of water, or slightly more until most of the lamb pieces are covered.

Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

Finally, add the potatoes to the pot, stir and cook for another 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

If desired, top the hot curry with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

The Lamb Curry with Apples and Potatoes is ready! Let’s eat!

Cook’s Notes for Lamb Curry with Apples and Potatoes:

Tip 1: The curry taste delicious served with cooked rice, crusty bread, roti or naan.
Tip 2: Leftover tastes even better the next day! I always make a big pot so that we will have leftovers for the next day.
Tip 3: I like to serve creamy curry with something crunchy and refreshing like lightly blanched broccoli florets, a small romaine lettuce salad, or sliced fresh green cucumber and juicy chopped tomatoes.
Tip 4: There will be a lot of rendered lamb fat. You can toss it away, or use it in the classic Shepherd’s Pie, or make a sublime roasted potatoes with rosemary with the leftover fat. Ideas to consider!

More Flavorful Food Ideas:

Have you tried this gorgeous pull apart garlic bread? It’s beautiful AND tasty. Read how I put it together here => Beautiful Pull-Apart Flower Petals Garlic Bread

You have probably read or seen Potatoes Hasselback, but have you tried Eggplant Parmesan, served in the popular fan shaped? No? Please check out my write up on how I put this together in this post => How to make Fan-Shaped Eggplant Parmesan

In the mood for something sweet? Check out this French Grape Clafoutis that get whipped up in an hour. => Absolutely the Best Quick and Easy French Grape Clafoutis Recipe!

This recipe is adapted from NYT https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9538-curry-of-lamb-breast-and-potatoes

For more information on various cut of lamb meat, I found this guide from FarmDrop to be very helpful => https://medium.com/farmdrop/the-only-lamb-cuts-guide-youll-ever-need-how-to-choose-and-cook-your-cuts-29419edf875b