Couscous With Red Onion And Chives 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.

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.