Cathy and Gary Larkin at a party in Dunoon, Scotland, back in the day. Photo courtesy of Cathy Larkin

For the first almost three years of our marriage, my husband and I lived in Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland. He was in the U.S. Navy, assigned to a dry dock located in Holy Loch. I was fortunate to land a job as science teacher in the local grammar school, grades 7-12. We met many Scots, dined in their homes and generally had very good years there, from 1966 to 1969.

Cathy Larkin with two fellow teachers, Fiona and Joan, having a little tea party on Fiona’s back lawn in Scotland years ago. “Not a great picture but special to me. I think we were still using a Brownie camera back then!” Larkin wrote. Photo courtesy of Cathy Larkin

While in Scotland, we encountered and fell in love with the spice curry powder and often had it as a flavoring in our food. Lamb Curry was a particular favorite. A lot of Americans don’t care for lamb but we both are from homes where it was eaten fairly regularly and in Scotland, we had it often. This recipe is from one of our Scottish friends.

I picked up some other recipes in Scotland, too: shortbread, which I still make a couple of times a year, and steak and kidney pie — though we skip the kidneys! We tried haggis, of course, but, I didn’t seek the recipe!

Now we live far from Scotland, in Ocean Park in Old Orchard Beach, but it is always a treat to have Curried Lamb. We often invite other lamb/curry lovers over to share it.

Use leftovers from a classic lamb roast to make lamb curry. Shutterstock

CURRIED LAMB

Curry paste is not easy to find in the United States. I have heard one can make it by mixing curry powder with water or maybe a little vegetable oil, just enough to make it pasty. I typically make this dish a day ahead, which enhances the flavors.

1 pound cooked leg or shoulder of lamb (typically leftover from a roast lamb)
1 clove garlic
2 medium onions
1 small apple, pared and cored
2 ounces drippings from lamb or extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon curry paste
1½ tablespoons flour
1 (6-ounce) can evaporated milk (or about 3/4 cup)
Stock or water
Grated rind and juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon chutney
1 ounce blanched almonds, chopped
1 ounce sultanas or raisins
2 tablespoons tomato puree
Salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the excess fat from the lamb leg or shoulder and dice the meat. Set aside.

Finely chop the garlic, onion and apple. Melt the drippings in saucepan and sauté the garlic, onions and apple lightly.

Stir in the curry powder, curry paste and flour and continue cooking for a few minutes. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk, adding enough stock or water to equal 1 pint (16 ounces) total. Add the lemon rind and juice and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chutney, almonds, sultanas, tomato puree and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the diced meat and adjust seasonings.

Serve with rice and accompaniments, AKA sambals.

SAMBALS

These sambals are not necessary but they do add a nice taste and touch to the meal.

Hard-boiled eggs, mashed
Sliced cucumbers in sour cream
Shredded pineapple and sliced bananas
Thickly cut lemon wedges
Blanched red and green bell pepper rings
Dried coconut
Ground peanuts
Raw diced onions that have been marinated in lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper
Guavas, paw paw, mango (canned is fine)
Poppadam that you have fried in hot oil for 20-30 seconds and drained. Nibble these on the side or crumble them on the curry.

Courtesy of Cathy Larkin

MEET THE COOK: CATHY LARKIN

After my husband Gary was discharged from the Navy, we came back to Maine so he could attend the University of Maine in Orono. Our son Derek was born in Scotland. Four years later in Bangor, along came our daughter Debby. I worked as a social worker in Bangor schools for 28 years. But after living in Bangor for 40 years, we moved to Ocean Park to be nearer to our daughter, who lives in Massachusetts.

When I first married, my cooking repertoire consisted of heating up food from a can and cooking very well-done hamburgers! There are more than a few family stories about my early cooking disasters. But with time I improved and actually began to enjoy the process of feeding others. Now, new recipes from magazines and newspapers frequently call on me to try them, especially if they present possibilities for new flavor combinations. I like to cook for myself, for family and for company, too.