Lightly Curried Lamb, Cabbage, and Barley Soup

Składniki

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds (1.35 kg) meaty lamb shanks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine

2 quarts (2 liters) chicken broth, homemade (page 311) or low-sodium store-bought

1 large leek, white and light- green parts only, thinly sliced and well rinsed

One 5-inch (12.5 cm) sprig rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried

Three or four 4-inch (10 cm) sprigs thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried

5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 tablespoons mild or hot curry powder

1 cup (200 g) pearled barley

4 cups very thinly sliced white or savoy cabbage (about 225 g)

1l arge potato (Iike Yukon Gold), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

Wskazówki

Heat a glug of olive oil over medium-high heat in a pot that's large enough to hold the lamb shanks. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, add them to the pot, and brown them on all sides, taking your time to get a nice bit of color, about 10 minutes total. Reduce the heat if the lamb seems to be getting too brown too fast.

Pour in the wine and simmer until the wine has reduced to about ½ cup (120 ml), then add the broth. Adjust the heat to a lively simmer, cover, and cook, until the lamb is very tender and literally falling off the bone. Make sure you're not actually boiling the shanks, which could toughen the meat. Depending on the size and density of your lamb shanks, this could take 1 to 3 hours. When the lamb is cooked, remove it from the broth, let cool, then pull the meat from the bones. Cut or pull the meat into bite-size pieces. Skim any visible fat off the broth.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek, a pinch of salt, a few twists of pepper, and the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leek starts to soften and become fragrant-but not at all browned- about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is soft but not browned.

Add the skimmed lamb broth and the barley to the leeks and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and potato and cook until the cabbage is very tender and sweet and the potato and barley are fully tender when you take a bite, another 30 minutes or so.

Add the lamb and simmer for about 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or black pepper (if you've used canned chicken broth, the soup may already be fairly salty).

Notatki

I love the way the barley absorbs the warm spices of curry powder. I prefer a mild, sweet curry, but if you like more spicy heat, use a hot curry mix. The barley also absorbs liquid as it sits, so when serving leftovers (which will be even better than the soup is on the first day), you may need to add more broth or water. The soup freezes nicely, so think about stashing a few cups for later. —Makes 3 quarts (3 liters), serves 8