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Best Couscous Recipe
Moroccan
Couscous Recipe with Lamb
and Root
Vegetables
We often use this couscous
recipe ourselves and it's a good way to
recreate the tastes, flavours and aromas of Moroccan food without
becoming too complicated. In other words, a simple and easy way to
transport yourself to Tangiers, Fez or Casablanca.
Some of the spice mixes are difficult to find and if you can buy
good Ras El Hanout please substitute it
for our spice mix if you wish.
We set out to paint a broad canvas, a good general grounding and then
let you take it where you wish. Some people like lots of heat from
their spices and others prefer a more mellow combination: experiment
with the seasoning until you get it just the way you like it. Good
luck and here's the recipe.
This is what
you'll need:
Ingredients
for four People
- One small leg of lamb about 1.5k/3-1/2lb.
- Ten ounces, about 250g.of couscous
- Just under 3/4 of a pint 400cc. of boiling water
- Four large carrots - bite sized pieces
- One Moroccan preserved lemon (pith and flesh
removed and sliced).
- One pint - about 500cc. of lamb or chicken stock
- Four stalks of celery - bite sized pieces
- A good sized courgette - bite sized pieces
- Four Leeks - bite sized pieces
- One small white turnip - bite sized pieces
- One red pepper - coarsley chopped
- Four ounces, about 100g. sultanas
- Two tablespoons of honey
- Two large tomatoes - chopped
- One large onion - chopped
- Six large cloves of garlic - chopped
- A bunch each of parsley and coriander (chopped)
- 2tbs. Extra virgin olive oil to fry
- A teaspoon of corn flour (corn starch) and a
little cold water to slake
Spice mix
- 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
- 1/2 a teaspoon of powdered nutmeg
- 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds (cominos)
- 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds (cilantro)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 or three dried chillis
- A 2" piece of cinnamon
Couscous
Recipe Method
- OK - first, in a large pan or skillet, brown
your lamb, onions, carrots, red pepper and celery together in the olive oil.
- Then - reduce the heat and add the garlic,
stirring well.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil.
- Let it simmer gently and meanwhile - dry roast
your cumin seeds, cloves, salt, cinnamon and chillis in a small pan,
until toasted.
- Then transfer to a pestle and mortar and add
the ginger and nutmeg.
- Pound to a powder and then add to your pan
(through a seive).
- Next the tomatoes, leeks, turnip, preserved
lemon, honey and half the parsley and coriander.
- Bring back to the boil and cook for 1-1/2
hours, adding the courgettes 15 minutes before the end.
- While all that's going on you can cook the
couscous - place the couscous with a pinch of salt in a large glass
bowl.
- Pour on the boiling water and leave for two
minutes.
- Stir with a fork until well separated.
- Time to assemble - spoon the couscous onto a
large serving platter.
- Drain the vegetables and lamb, retaining the
liquid.
- Arrange the vegetables on the couscous topped
by the meat and a sprinkling of the remaining parsley and coriander.
- Now - thicken the liquor a little with the corn
flour (slaked in a little cold water) and serve
separately.
A
great Moroccan Couscous Recipe!
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