Slow Roast Ras El Hanout Lamb Couscous Recipes

SLOW ROAST RAS EL HANOUT LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE AND QUINOA TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
• Rub salt, pepper and ras el hanout all over the lamb and place in an oven proof dish or roasting tray.
• Pour 300ml cold water around the lamb (but not over the top or you'll wash all the spices off!)
• Cover the lamb with the lid of the casserole dish or tightly with foil and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours or until the lamb is meltingly tender and will come away from the bone easily.
• As soon as the lamb has gone into the oven, start making the tabbouleh. First rinse the quinoa in a sieve, then place the quinoa into a saucepan. Cover with 400ml boiling water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooking, chop up the cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions and herbs finely and place in a bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus some salt and pepper and half the pomegranate seeds.
• When the quinoa is cooked, drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water until completely cold. Drain thoroughly (or your salad will be watery) and add to the chopped vegetables and herbs. Stir well and cover with clingfilm. Put in the fridge until it is needed.
• When the lamb is ready, take it out of the oven and remove from the casserole dish /roasting tray from the oven. Take the lamb out of the casserole dish and let it rest for 20 minutes. Then shred using forks and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle over some of the juices that are left in the casserole dish and pour the rest of the juices into a small jug.
• Put the lamb and jug of meat juices on the table together. Remove the tabbouleh from the fridge. Spoon it out into a serving dish and sprinkle over the remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve with the lamb. You could also add a green salad, a yogurt dressing and some pittas or flatbreads if you like.

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.

MOROCCAN ROAST LAMB WITH ROASTED ROOTS & CORIANDER

Steps:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge while you chop the onions, squash and celeriac. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trim any excess fat off the leg of lamb, then cut a few slashes into the meat. Rub ½ tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ras el hanout over the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Put the onion, celeriac, butternut squash into a large roasting tin with the garlic. Toss with the remaining ras el hanout, remaining oil and some salt and pepper. Nestle the lamb into the tin and put in the oven to roast for 40 mins.
• Take the lamb out of the oven and leave to rest. Put the veg back in the oven for 20 mins. Meanwhile, blitz the coriander, cumin seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice and green chilli together in a mini food processor until finely chopped and vivid green.
• Carve the lamb, put on a platter, then pile on the veg. Sprinkle over some of the coriander mixture before taking the platter to the table for everyone to help themselves.