| | North African Lamb Couscous 10 teaspoons of olive oil
2 pounds of lamb shoulder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
1 Spanish onion
2 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads
4 cups of water
1 acorn squash
3 zucchini
1/2 pound of couscous
4 tablespoons of honey
1 lemon
1/4 cup of raisins |
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Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and brown in the heated skillet. Brown the meat in batches to keep from overcrowding the skillet. Transfer the lamb to a 4-quart stock pot. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and saffron. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the stock pot. Pour three-fourths of the water into the sauté pan; simmer briefly. Pour over lamb and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Trim skin from the sides of the squash. Dice into 1-inch cubes. Discard skin and seeds. Cut zucchini into thirds. Slice off skin and a thin layer of flesh. Discard seeds and inner flesh. Bring remaining water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous, honey, lemon juice and remaining oil. Cover and set aside. Add the squash and raisins to the stew. Simmer until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the couscous and transfer to a serving bowl. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle stew around couscous and serve. |
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