Lamb And Sausage Couscous Recipes

LAMB-AND-SAUSAGE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
• Heat the oil in a large covered casserole or dutch oven over high heat on top of the stove.
• Add the meat, without crowding, in batches if necessary, and brown well on all sides.
• Remove pieces to a plate as they are done and reserve.
• Repeat until all meat is browned.
• Do not pour off fat.
• Replace the casserole over medium heat.
• Add the onion, carrots, celery and tomato paste.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
• Use your spoon to loosen and dissolve the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole.
• Add flour and cook, stirring, an additional minute.
• Add wine, meat (and any juices on the plate), stock, cayenne and cumin.
• Cover, bring to a boil and place in the oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until meat is tender.
• Meanwhile, combine sausage and zucchini in an ovenproof dish, cover and place in the oven until sausages are cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Follow directions on the back of the box and cook the couscous.
• Remove stewed lamb and the sausage/vegetable mixture from the oven.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and place it in a serving bowl.
• Pour off and discard any excess fat from the sausages and add sausages and vegetables to the lamb.
• Pour the thin gravy through a fine strainer into the serving bowl and discard the vegetables and spices that remain in the strainer.
• To serve, place the couscous in another serving dish.
• Pour the broth into a pitcher or soup tureen.
• Encourage guests to place couscous in their soup bowl, top with the meat and vegetables and moisten with soup.

LAMB WITH SAUSAGE-MINT COUSCOUS AND PARSLEY JUS

Steps:

• Blanch parsley in large pot of boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain well. Place parsley, 6 tablespoons oil and 6 tablespoons ice water in blender; purée until well blended. Strain into small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Parsley jus can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle lamb with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add lamb; cook until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven; cook lamb to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté sausage in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown, about 4 minutes. Bring stock and curry powder to boil in medium saucepan. Mix in couscous. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Add sausage and mint; toss to blend. Season couscous to taste with salt and pepper. Slice lamb. Spoon couscous onto plates. Surround with sliced lamb. Spoon parsley jus around lamb and serve.

SPICY LAMB SAUSAGE WITH GRILLED ONIONS AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• To make the sausage, put ground lamb in a mixing bowl. Using a spice mill or mortar and pestle, grind cumin, coriander, black pepper and allspice. Add to lamb, along with salt, cayenne, cinnamon, paprika and garlic. Mix well with hands to incorporate. Fry a little piece of the mixture in a small skillet. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt if necessary. Mix again and refrigerate at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight. Form mixture into 24 two-ounce patties.
• To make the vinaigrette, grind cumin, coriander and caraway. Combine with paprika and a good pinch of cayenne in a small bowl. Add garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
• Light a charcoal grill or use a grill pan. The heat should be moderate. Grill sausages, in batches if necessary, for about 2 minutes per side, until just done. Keep warm. Paint onion slices with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until softened slightly, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with zucchini. Keep at room temperature.
• Line a large platter with lettuce leaves and pile sausages in the middle. Arrange onions and zucchini around the platter. Salt the tomatoes and distribute. Whisk the vinaigrette, then drizzle over everything. Sprinkle with cilantro and mint, and serve with warm pita breads, if desired.

MERGUEZ AND LAMB COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place lamb in a deep kettle (preferably one with a steamer attachment on top). Add onions, rutabaga and fennel. Season with salt, and add 4 quarts cold water (it should cover the ingredients), black pepper and ginger.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place couscous in a large bowl, and cover with cold water. Mix thoroughly with your hands to break up lumps. Transfer couscous to a steamer attachment with fine holes (if you do not have one, try a colander), and drain the couscous into a separate bowl. Then, transfer couscous to the original large mixing bowl, and let sit 15 minutes.
• Break up the couscous again with your hands, and return it to the steamer or colander. Place the steamer over the simmering lamb and vegetables. Cover and let steam for about 15 minutes.
• Return couscous to a large bowl and, when it is cool, grease your hands with the olive oil and mix the grains thoroughly, breaking up any lumps. Do this several times, adding more oil.
• Return couscous to steamer, and place over simmering meat and vegetable liquid, covered.
• When meat has cooked for 45 minutes, add carrots, raisins, chickpeas and merguez. Taste broth for seasoning. Add more pepper if necessary (withhold salt until the end). Simmer for another 20 minutes. (At this point the stew may be set aside to cool, scraped of any surface fat, and reheated before serving. Place couscous in a large bowl and cover with a damp towel.)
• When ready for final cooking, place stew over a medium-low flame. Place a couscous-filled steamer on top, covered. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings before serving.
• Place a mound of couscous on a warm plate. Cover with meat, vegetables and broth. Serve with hot sauce, like Tabasco, on the side.