Couscous With Chicken And Lamb Recipes

COUSCOUS WITH LAMB, ONIONS, AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Prepare the couscous in a large, round, ovenproof dish as described on page 112, leaving the final heating in the oven to be done 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Prepare the meat broth in a large pan. Put in the meat, with about 1/2 pound onions, chopped, and cover with 7 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil and remove the scum. Add salt and pepper, the ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the cloves. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At this point, add the saffron and more water, if necessary, and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is so tender you can pull it apart with your fingers.
• At the same time, prepare the honeyed onion tfaya. Cut the remaining onions in half and slice them. Put them in a pan with 1 cup water. Put the lid on and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the onions are very soft. Remove the lid and cook further, until the liquid has evaporated. Add the butter and oil and cook until the onions are golden. Stir in the honey and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the drained raisins, and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the onions caramelize and become brown.
• Fry the almonds in a drop of oil until golden, turning them over, then drain on paper towels. Coarsely chop about half of them.
• About 20 to 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, put the couscous in the oven, preheated to 400°F, and heat through until it is steaming hot, fluffing it with a fork after about 10 minutes. Before serving, fork the butter, cut into small pieces, into the couscous and again fluff up the couscous as it melts in.
• To serve, moisten the couscous with a ladle of broth and mix in the chopped almonds, and leave it in the baking dish or turn it onto a large, round platter; shape it into a mound and make a wide shallow hollow in the center. Put the meat in the hollow, cover with the onion and raisin tfaya, and sprinkle with the remaining whole, fried almonds. Serve the broth separately.

SPICY LAMB WITH WARM COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium. Tip the couscous, chickpeas and lemon zest into a large bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover with cling film and leave to stand for 10 mins, until all the stock has been absorbed.
• Smear 2 tsp harissa paste over the lamb chops, season to taste, then grill for 3-4 mins each side until crisp outside and medium rare in the middle. Cover, then rest for a few mins. Mix the remaining harissa into the yogurt, then season to taste.
• Fold the rocket through the warm couscous, breaking up any clumps with a fork. Serve with the chops and a drizzle of harrissa and yogurt dressing.

COUSCOUS WITH CHICKEN AND LAMB

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a mixing bowl, and add about 1 1/3 cups cold water, stirring it with your fingers until all of the couscous is dampened. Let the moistened couscous rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large quantity of water to the boil in a large pot in which you can fit a colander (or use a traditional couscoussiere).
• Drain the couscous in the colander, and crumble it with your fingers to break up any lumps. Place the colander containing the couscous on top of the pot of boiling water. Let it steam about 20 minutes. Empty the couscous into a mixing bowl and add 8 tablespoons butter at room temperature. Stir quickly and thoroughly until grains of cereal are coated with butter.
• Trim off the ends of the eggplant and zucchini. Do not peel. Cut the eggplant and zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut both vegetables into 1 1/2-inch lengths. There should be about 6 cups eggplant and 3 cups zucchini.
• Remove the core from the peppers. Split each in half, and remove the white veins and the seeds. Cut the peppers into 1-inch cubes. There should be about 3 cups.
• Split the acorn squash in half. Scrape out the fibers and seeds from the center. Cut away the stem. Cut the unskinned vegetable into 1-inch cubes. There should be about 4 cups.
• Heat a large skillet and add the oil. When it is quite hot, add the lamb, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cook, turning the pieces occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Put the lamb into a large kettle and add the lamb broth. Bring to the boil and cook about 50 minutes.
• Put the leeks, celery, carrots, turnips and onion in a second kettle. Strain all the lamb broth over this. Let the cubed lamb remain in the first kettle. Bring the broth and vegetable mixture to the boil. Cook over moderately high heat about 15 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and the roast chicken. Cover and let cook about 8 minutes.
• Add the cubed lamb, meatballs and chickpeas to the stew, and continue cooking 5 minutes.
• To serve, remove the meats (chicken pieces, meatballs, lamb cubes) from the stew. Spoon an equal portion of the hot couscous cereal into warm soup plates. Spoon an equal portion of the meats and vegetables onto each serving. Spoon some of the harissa into a small bowl and add a ladle of soup onto it. Blend. Add the harissa according to individual taste.