Couscous With Lamb Onions And Raisins 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.

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.

COUSCOUS WITH GOLDEN RAISINS, PINE NUTS, AND GREEN ONIONS

Steps:

• Bring broth and salt to boil in heavy large pot; turn off heat. Immediately mix in couscous and raisins. Cover and let stand until couscous is tender and broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Mix in nuts, green onions, and butter. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SLOW ROAST RAS EL HANOUT LAMB & COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Using a pestle and mortar or a mini chopper, mash or chop the garlic with a generous pinch of salt, then add the lemon juice, ras el hanout spice mix and olive oil, then pound or chop to a rough paste. Use a small knife to make small incisions all over the lamb. Sit the lamb in a large, shallow casserole dish or deep roasting tin, then rub the paste all over the lamb and into the cuts. Leave at room temperature for 1 hr, or better still cover and chill overnight.
• When ready to cook, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Scatter the onion wedges around the lamb, then cover the dish with a lid or tightly with foil and roast for 3 hrs. Remove from the oven and uncover. Stir the onions and baste the lamb in the juices, then turn the oven up to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast the lamb, uncovered, for 25-30 mins until browned.
• Lift the lamb and onions onto a board to rest and put the kettle on. Stir the couscous and raisins into the lamb dish so they're coated in the roasting juices. Pour over enough boiling water from the kettle to just cover the couscous, then cover the dish and leave for 5 mins. Uncover and fluff the couscous up with a wooden spoon, then stir through the chickpeas, chopped herbs and preserved lemon or lemon juice, and season to taste. Bring the lamb, onions and the couscous to the table to serve.

COUSCOUS W/ MOROCCAN LAMB BROTH,GLAZED ONIONS& FRIED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Couscous: Place couscous in a fine strainer and rinse under cold running waterDump couscous into large bowl and let stand until grins swell, about 10 minutes. Break up lumps with your fingers.
• Fill a large steamer pot or stockpot with water. Set up steamer making sure there are 4 inches between simmering water and steamer basket. Carefully pour couscous into steamer or colander. Steam couscous, uncovered, over simmering water for 15 minutes.
• Pour couscous onto large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 cup cold water and salt; use long fork or oiled hands to spread couscous and break up any lumps. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. (Couscous can be covered with paper towels and stored at room temperature up to 8 hours.).
• Add water to pot, making sure there is enough room between simmering water and steamer bottom. Carefully pour couscous into perforated steamer or colander; steam couscous, uncovered, over simmering water for 20 minutes.
• Moroccan Lamb Broth with Chickpeas and Vegetables:
• Bring chickpeas and 7 cups water to simmer in medium saucepan. Simmer, covered, until chickpeas are just tender, about 1 hour. Drain chickpeas, then pour into bowl of cold water. Gently rub chickpeas between fingers to remove skins. Discard skins, drain chickpeas, and set aside.
• Place lamb, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, onions, parsley and cilantro, and butter in soup kettle. Melt butter over low heat, swirling pan once or twice to let spices and meat mix gently. Add 3 quarts of water and bring to a simmer. Add chickpeas; cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Cool lamb broth, skimming fat that rises to the surface. Remove 2 cups of broth and strain it; reserve for glazed onion topping. Remove and discard herb bundle. Remove shanks and separate meat from bone; return meat to broth. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.).
• About 30 minutes before serving, bring lamb broth to simmer. Add carrots, turnips, pumpkin, and zucchini. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Remove another 3 cups of broth and strain it; reserve for moistening couscous. (There will be only a little broth left in meat and vegetables at this point.)
• Glazed Onions with Raisins:.
• Bring broth to boil in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and simmer until liquid boils away and onions have glazed appearance, 30 to 45 minutes. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.) Warm before serving.
• Fried Almonds: Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds; fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. (Can be stored in airtight container up to 2 days.).
• To Assemble: Prepare Steamed Couscous, Moroccan Lamb Broth with Chickpeas and Vegetables, Glazed Onions with Raisins, and Fried Almonds as described above. Pour couscous onto large flat serving dish with sloping sides and toss with butter. Use fork to smooth out any remaining lumps. Form couscous into a large ring, leaving a small opening in the center for meat. Pour 3 cups reserved broth over couscous. Cover, and let stand 10 minutes.
• Remove meat from broth and place in center opening. Scatter vegetables over couscous . Spread glazed onions over meat and vegetables, then sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately. (Leftovers can be stored in covered container and refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat individual portions in microwave.).

QUICK COUSCOUS WITH RAISINS AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the carrots and onion until the carrots begin to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the couscous, mixing well to avoid lumps, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the couscous stand covered until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the raisins, and serve hot.

COUSCOUS WITH LAMB, ONIONS, AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Let the raisins soak in warm water for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put the sliced onion in a small cooking pot with water to cover, and boil gently for about 25 minutes, until the onion is soft and the water has evaporated. Stir in the butter, olive oil, and honey, and cook another 5 minutes, until golden and caramelized. While the onion is cooking, prepare the couscous by bringing 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small cooking pot and sprinkling in the couscous. Boil for 1 minute, add the salt and butter, then stir and cover. Now heat the shank meat in its cooking sauce.
• When all is ready, spoon out the couscous onto a warm dinner plate, moisten it with a little of the lamb sauce, then make an indentation and spoon the meat and the rest of the sauce into it along with the honey/sweet onion/raisin mix, and scatter the almonds on top.