Orange Curried Lamb with Toasted Buckwheat in Tangerine Vinegrette

The Paper chef ingredients seemed just easy enough to be doable and just hard enough to be a challenge. I really wanted to make lamb, kasha, pea samosas (in buckwheat dough) with pea/mint chutney. But life have been nutters. Yes, yes, we all have crazy lives, but this was a special sort of crazy.

My cousin was in town last Sunday with friends and so we cooked an cleaned. My aunt came in last Monday and so we cooked and she cleaned (its her hobby.) And, then we took this family party on the road and went down to Columbus for more cleaning and eating. Finally, we returned home to find we would have more relatives visit, and you guessed it we cooked and cleaned more. Alright, point is, lots of cooking and cleaning, but not much time for complicated challenges.

So, yesterday evening, I looked at my organic lamb, purchased at our local competitor to whole foods, Mustard Seed Market, english peas, leaks, buckwheat flour. Challenge or no challenge, my cousin was coming to dinner. (I actually only have 2 around, they just kept coming and going over the last two weeks). We had some lovely honey tangerines and so the idea was born.

I had hoped to roast my lamb in the oven. But, as I said it was unusually nuts, because as I turned on the oven, the lights went out. And, stayed out. And, while I would have loved to watch a little TV, the power outage turned into a blessing, because it took the meal from complicated to quick. The light was disappearing, and I wanted dinner done in time to take a picture. And, with many of the ingredients, quick is the way to go--no mushy peas and overcooked lamb.

After all the nuts of the week, it ended up being a very relaxing cooking (no measuring at all) and eating experience (sitting on the porch).

As I used all the ingredients, I will send this on to Paper Chef judged by that winner Food on the Food and run by Lucillian Delights.

Recipe
Orange Curried Lamb with Toasted Buckwheat in Tangerine Vinegrette

With the lights out, there was no measuring last night.

1. Marinate lamb in tangerine juice, olive oil, cumin, hot Indian orange pickle (if available) and mint for 1 hr


2. Make Kasha according to package (toasting 1 cup in 1 egg and simmering in boiling 2 cups chicken stock for 11 minutes)


3. To the kasha, add sauteed leaks and reserve.


4. In a bowl, make a vinegrette of 1 clove garlic, diced shallot, tangerine juice, mustard, and olive oil. When the Kasha is still warm, toss it in the vinegrette. Add shelled peas and cover. Finish the kasha, 1-2 T Greek yoghurt and thinly sliced radishes.


5. Sear the lamb in a hot cast iron skillet and then simmer until tender in the marinade and additional chicken stock.