A generous couscous with lamb, chicken, and merguez sausage, loaded with tender vegetables, chickpeas, and light, fluffy couscous grains. A classic family feast fragrant with ras el hanout and served piping hot with harissa on the side.
Ingredients
- 400 g medium-grain couscous
- 500 g lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
- 4 pieces chicken thighs
- 4 pieces fresh merguez sausages
- 4 pieces carrots
- 2 pieces turnips
- 2 pieces zucchini
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 250 g cooked chickpeas, drained
- 200 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 60 g golden raisins
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp ras el hanout
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp harissa
- 0.5 bunches fresh cilantro
- 1.5 l water
Method
- Thinly slice the onion, peel the carrots and turnips, and cut the vegetables into large, even pieces; set the zucchini aside, as it cooks much faster.
- In a large Dutch oven, sear the lamb in hot oil until nicely browned on all sides, then add the chicken and let it color lightly; the meat should start to catch on the bottom without burning.
- Add the onion, ras el hanout, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper; stir until the spices smell fragrant and lightly toasted.
- Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes and water, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer gently over low heat until the lamb begins to turn tender and the broth is aromatic.
- Add the carrots, turnips, and chickpeas, then continue simmering until the vegetables are almost tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
- Add the zucchini and golden raisins, then simmer gently until the zucchini is tender but still intact; taste the broth and adjust the seasoning.
- Near the end of cooking, hydrate the couscous with hot broth ladled straight from the pot, cover until fully absorbed, then fluff with a fork and fold in the butter until the grains are separate and glossy.
- Grill or pan-fry the merguez sausages over medium-high heat until deeply browned and juicy, then let them rest briefly so the juices settle.
- Mound the couscous on a large serving platter, arrange the lamb, chicken, vegetables, and chickpeas on top, ladle over some broth, crown with the merguez, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with harissa on the side.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 548.1 kcal
- Protein
- 25.35 g
- Carbohydrate
- 55.39 g
- Fat
- 25.18 g
- Fibre
- 7.05 g
- Calcium
- 38.91 mg
- Iron
- 1.25 mg
- Magnesium
- 24.55 mg
