Moroccan Lamb Curry with fragrant couscous salad
I’m visiting San Francisco and stayed with old friends of mine for the first couple of days, so I offered to cook for the family.
Mostly optional, mostly whatever ratios look good. But more cumin than anything in this one, and try try try for the orange blossom water – it really makes the dish.
The Lamb
5lbs (2.5kg) lamb shoulder
dried apricots
garlic cloves
1 lemon (1/8th’d)
fresh rosemary
The sauce
2 cans peeled tomato
1/3 bottle ?? orange blossom water
chopped fresh coriander leaves and stalks (cilantro)
diced brown onion
halved button or brown mushrooms
1 sliced red capsicum (bell pepper) – halve the slices
1 diced carrot
garlic chives
The spices
chilli flakes
cumin powder
coriander powder
nutmeg powder
cinnamon powder
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
3 bay leaves
sumac powder
paprika
saffron
turmeric powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
The method
Pre-heat oven to 280F, including tagine / casserole pot
stuff shoulder, bind with cooking twine
coat lamb in spice mix (use a little olive oil), rub into flesh
seal lamb in hot skillet / thick-based fry pan
place in tagine or thick-based stewing / casserole pot
de-glaze skillet with tomato
add other sauce ingredients to skillet
pour sauce over lamb
cook at 280F for 1.5 hours (low shelf)
add mushrooms, garlic chives, capsicum, carrots
cook for 30 mins (low shelf)
The couscous salad
1 roughly chopped large flat mushroom
coriander leaves (cilantro)
juice 2 limes
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper)
1 finely diced small red onion
pine nuts
lightly toast pine nuts on medium heat in fry pan, set aside
lightly saute onion and capsicum, remove from heat, add mushroom
The couscous
1.5 cups water
2 cups couscous
1 knob butter or tsp olive oil
salt
pepper
boil water, remove from heat, add couscous and butter/oil, stir thoroughly
cover for 2 mins
stir in salad
The greens
blanch green beans for 3 mins
blanch baby spinach for 1 min
drain
The plating
remove twine from lamb
carve into thick slices
remove star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves (through colander if desired)
if desired, to strained sauce, add yoghurt and cornflour to thicken (add some water or some sauce to cornflour to make a runny paste before adding to main pot)
serve couscous with lamb and sauce, greens on side
The vino
White: Lightly wooded Chardonnay / Chablis or Pinot Gris
Red: Shiraz Viognier or Pinot Noir
Goddamn it tastes gooooood.
