Enjoy a taste of North Africa with this recipe for Moroccan lamb with couscous and a Greek-style yoghurt sauce.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Argan oil/ rapeseed oil to cook
- Chopped mint to serve, optional
For the marinade:
- 3 spring onions, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp rose harissa
- 1 /2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
For the jewelled couscous:
- 600 ml21 fl oz fresh chicken or vegetable stock, from a carton is fine
- 500 g17¾ oz couscous
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g1¾ oz toasted flaked almonds
- 100 g3½ oz ready-to-eat apricots, chopped
- 50 g1¾ oz sultanas, about 4 tbsp
- 2 heaped tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 heaped tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Yoghurt sauce:
- 190 ml6¾ fl oz thick Greek-style yoghurt
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste with a little salt
Method: How to make Moroccan Lamb with Couscous
Place the lamb in a non-aluminium container. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and rub over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or let stand 2 to 3 hours at room temperature. Bring the lamb to room temperature, if refrigerated.
Preheat your oven to 200C/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the marinade and sprinkle it with salt. Add a little of the oil to a large frying pan and, when hot, add the lamb, flesh-side down first, and sear until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the lamb over and brown the other side. Roast for about 45 minutes for medium meat. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with a little chopped mint before serving (optional).
For the jewelled couscous:
Heat the stock in a pan until boiling. Pour in the couscous in a thin, steady stream then stir in the lemon rind. Cover with plastic film and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the grains to swell. Remove the plastic film and fluff up the grains with a fork so that they separate. (You can prepare to this stage ahead of doing the other steps)
Return the couscous to the heat and drizzle over the olive oil. Cook gently for a few minutes, stirring with the fork to fluff up the grains, then remove from the heat. Fold in the almonds, apricots, sultanas, parsley and coriander and season to taste.
Tip the couscous into an ovenproof dish, cover with plastic film and chill until ready to serve. You can keep this warm in the bottom of a moderate oven, covered with foil for up to half an hour until ready to serve. Alternatively, pierce the plastic film all over with a fork and heat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve at once.
To make the yoghurt sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and serve on the side of lamb and couscous.
