Lamb Steaks With Four Peppers And Nutty Couscous Recipes

ROAD TO MOROCCO LAMB WITH PINE NUT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place lamb in a food storage bag. Combine the 7 spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle into the bag and seal bag. Shake and evenly coat the lamb pieces in the spices.
• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, then the lamb. Sear the lamb and caramelize the meat all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the dates and 2 cups of chicken stock to the pan and cover. Cook 7 to 8 minutes more to plump the dates and soften the onions. Remove cover and adjust seasonings.
• During the last 5 minutes the lamb has to cook, melt butter and toast pine nuts. Add 2 cups stock and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat, add couscous and cover pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with fork.
• Serve lamb over couscous in shallow dishes and garnish with chopped scallions.

STEAMED LAMB

Steps:

• 1. Trim the lamb of excess fat: the thin fell can be left on. Blend the saffron with 1/4 cup butter, salt, and pepper. Rub into the lamb flesh.
• 2. Bring plenty of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer, kettle, or couscousière (to borrow a trick from Diana Kennedy, author of The Cuisines of Mexico,* toss in a penny - when the penny stops clicking you need more water). Dampen a piece of cheesecloth and twist into a strip the length of the circumference of the kettle's rim. Use this strip to fasten the perforated top so that it fits snugly on top. Check all sides for effective sealing: steam should rise only through the holes. Make a bed of parsley over the holes and rest the shoulder of lamb on it. Surround with the onions, if used, and cover with a double layer of cheesecloth and then, tightly, with a lid. Do not lift the lid during the first 1 3/4 hours of steaming. Be very careful, and stand back when lifting the lid. If the lamb is tender and falling off the bone it is ready; if not, continue steaming 15 to 30 minutes longer.
• 3. If desired, brown in oil and butter or rub again with butter and brown in a very hot oven (highest setting). Serve with bowls of ground cumin and salt, to be used as a dip.
• New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
• •Traditionally, this dish would be prepared with zebda, a pungent, naturally curdled product that originated with the Moroccan Berbers. American unsalted butter, while not an exact match, can be successfully substituted. •This dish is typically served with couscous, the tiny Moroccan semolina pasta. To produce authentically fluffy Moroccan couscous, steam it for 30 minutes in a couscousière or tight-fitting, lidless steamer. Then dump it into a flat pan, slowly add 1 cup of salted water, and rake out any lumps with a wire whisk. Finally, return the couscous to the couscousière and steam it for an additional 30 minutes.

ROSEMARY GARLIC LAMB STEAKS WITH COUSCOUS - MEDITERRANEAN

Steps:

• Chop all the vegetables into even bite size chunks.
• Peel the garlic bulb and split with the back of a knife and slice into small dice.
• Pour olive oil into the bottom of an enamel or metal rasting tray and put in vegetables.
• Lay lamb steaks onto the top of the vegetables.
• Squeeze on lemon juice.
• Sprinkle rosemary and oregano over the lamb and vegetables.
• Sprinkle over the garlic.
• Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until vegetables are soft and lamb is cooked to your liking.
• Meanwhile prepare couscous, pop in a bowl and cover with boiling water. cover bowl with a clean tea towel. once the couscous has absorbed the water, fluff up with a fork to separate the grains.
• Serve the couscous, vegetables and lamb.
• The vegetables are even better the next day and can work well with a tin of tomatoes added and used as a pasta sauce. enjoy.

MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• The day before serving, season the meat heavily with salt and pepper, and sear it in a frying pan with one tablespoon of the oil. Then preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Put the meat in a pot, add a little water, and braise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until tender. Set aside to cool, and then refrigerate overnight.
• Also the day before serving, heat the remaining oil in another pot, and sauté the leek and the onions. When the onions are translucent, add the turnips, carrots, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, ras el hanout, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and garlic. Cover the vegetables and spices with water, and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender.
• The next day, cut the lamb into 2-inch chunks, and put it in the pot with the vegetables. Add the zucchini. Simmer slowly until the zucchini is just cooked but still bright green. Adjust seasonings, and stir in the harissa sauce. (I also serve more at the table, so that people can adjust the heat to their taste.)
• Stir together the harissa, couscous broth, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, cinnamon, and Spanish pepper in a small bowl. Serve with the couscous.

SPICY LAMB TAGINE WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Trim any fat off the lamb and cut it into 1 inch cubes.
• Put the meat, onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and saffron if using,into the bottom of a double boiler or a large saucepan, season to taste and add enough water to cover.
• Bring the contents to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Add the apricots, carrots,zucchini,tomatoes, coriander and parsley to the pan and cook, covered for a further 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, following package directions, prepare enough couscous for 6 people.
• Add salt to taste.
• To serve, spoon the couscous onto serving dish, lift the lamb and vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and lay them on top of the couscous and sprinkle them with chopped coriander and parsley.
• Pour the broth into a jug or bowl to serve separately and let people help themselves at the table.

SEARED LAMB SHOULDER WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season lamb with paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in lg skillet over medium heat.
• Cook 4-6 min per side. Let rest at least 5 min before slicing to serve.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in pot over med-high heat.
• Add onion and stir until softened or 3-4 minutes.
• Stir in apricots, salt, pepper, couscous, and water amount specified on couscous package.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover until water is absorbed or 8-12 minutes
• Fold in spinach.
• Serve together.