Lamb with Peaches
- 2 pounds boned shoulder of lamb, trimmed of fat and gristle and cut into 1- to 1½-inch pieces
- Salt
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne or other red pepper or to taste
- 1 medium-to-large onion, cut in half
- ½ cup Port wine, red wine, or water
- 4 medium-to-large ripe peaches
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup washed, dried, and roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
A logical combination, and glorious once you taste it, with the sweet juice of the peaches deftly cutting through the richness of the lamb without being piercing.
- Place the lamb in a 12-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Season with salt and add the cinnamon, cayenne, onion, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily but not violently. Cook for 1 to 1½ hours, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means that the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)
- When the meat is tender when poked with a small, sharp knife, remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining bit of herb and serve.