Lamb, Chickpea, & Vegetable Couscous
Submitted by dali
Lamb, chickpea, and vegetable couscous is a Moroccan-style braise of cubed lamb shoulder simmered with carrots, turnips, zucchini, and peppers in a cinnamon-spiced tomato broth over fluffy couscous.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
10 hrsLamb, chickpea, and vegetable couscous is the kind of layered, slow-built Moroccan one-pot meal where each vegetable hits the broth at exactly the right moment. The lamb shoulder gets browned first to develop the fond, then onions soften in the rendered fat, and a tomato-lemon broth builds depth with cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried mint.
The chickpeas need an overnight soak, that is the price of dried beans rather than canned. They simmer with the lamb for the long stretch so they absorb the spices instead of just sitting in them.
Carrots and turnips go in for the back-half braise, while zucchini and peppers join in the final ten minutes to keep their bite. Two cups of the broth are pulled out to steam the couscous separately, which is the traditional move and gives the pellets real flavor.
Mound the couscous on a warm platter and ring the meat and vegetables around it for the classic presentation.
Chef Tips
- Brown the lamb in batches, crowding the pan steams the meat instead of searing it.
- Skim the foam that rises in the first 15 minutes of simmering, this is what keeps the broth clear.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork, never a spoon, or you will compact the pellets into a paste.
- Toast a pinch of saffron in the warm broth before pouring it over the couscous for a deeper aroma.
Variations
- Stir a tablespoon of harissa into the broth for a North African heat boost.
- Swap lamb for boneless chicken thighs, reducing the long simmer to 25 minutes total.
- Add a handful of pitted prunes or dried apricots with the chickpeas for a sweeter, more tagine-style pot.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the chickpeas overnight in four times their volume of water in a noncorrisble bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 5- to 7-quart pot.
Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes. Brown them (in batches, if necessary) on all sides over moderate heat. Transfer the meat to a warm platter.
Reduce the temperature to low and sauté the onions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the lamb, boiling water, lemon juice, tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaf, mint, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
Drain the chickpeas and stir them into the lamb mixture. Simmer the ingredients, covered, for 45 minutes.
Begin this step 5 minutes before step 6 is completed. Peel the carrots and turnips. Cut the carrots into ¾ inch long segments and the turnips into ¾ inch cubes. When step 6 is completed, stir these ingredients into the pot containing the lamb. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Begin this step as soon as the carrots and turnips start simmering in step 7. Put the couscous pellets in a 2 to 3-quart pan. Pour cold tap water into the pan until it reaches a depth of 1 inch above the pellets. Soak the pellets for 10 minutes.
Pour the couscous into a sieve, discarding the water. Return the couscous to its soaking pan. Slowly strain two cups of the broth from the large pot into the couscous. Bring this mixture to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Slice the zucchini into 3-inch cuves and the peppers into ¼ inch-thick rings. When step 7 is completed, stir in both ingredients and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes.
It should be time to turn off the heat under the simmering couscous pellets as soon as the zucchini-and-pepper mixture starts simmering in step
Fluff the pellets, cover the pan, and let it stand for 8 minutes. Then pour off any remaining liquid.
Mound the couscous pellets in the center of a warm, large serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and neatly arrange them around the mound.
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