Couscous - Delicious recipe by food author Howard Hillman

Couscous
recipe

peasant dish of Morocco

Couscous
ingredients

Servings: 6 to 8

Duckling
2 kilogram or 4 pound bird

Dried chickpeas
7 deciliters or 3 cups

Olive oil
50 milliliters or 3 tablespoons

Lean boneless lamb shoulder
900 grams or 2 pounds

Chopped white onions
12 centiliters or 1/2 cup

Boiling water
1 1/4 liters or 5 cups

Fresh lemon juice
50 milliliters or 3 tablespoons

Chopped ripe tomatoes
12 centiliters or 1/2 cup

Cinnamon
2 milliliters or 1/2 teaspoon

Grated nutmeg
1 milliliter or 1/4 teaspoon

Bay leaf
1 medium size

Crushed dried mint
2 milliliters or 1/2 teaspoon

Salt
5 milliliters or 1 teaspoon

Ground black pepper
1 milliliter or 1/4 teaspoon

Carrots
4 medium sized

Turnips
3 small sized

Couscous
5 deciliters or 2 cups

Zucchini
3 small sized

Italian sweet peppers
2 medium sized

Couscous
cooking steps

Soak the chickpeas overnight in four times their volume of water in a non-corrosible bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed 5 to 7 liter (or 5 to 7 quart) pot.

Cut the lamb into 2 1/2 centimeter (1 inch) cubes. Brown them (in batches, if necessary) on all sides over moderate heat. Transfer the meat to a warm platter.

Reduce the temperature to low and sauté the onions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the lamb, boiling water, lemon juice, tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaf, mint, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas and stir them into the lamb mixture. Simmer the ingredients, covered, for 45 minutes.

Begin this step 5 minutes before step 6 is completed. Peel the carrots and turnips. Cut the carrots into 2 centimeter or 3/4 inch long segments and the turnips into 2 centimeter or 3/4 inch cubes. When step 6 is completed, stir these ingredients into the pot containing the lamb. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Begin this step as soon as the carrots and turnips start simmering in step 7. Put the Couscous pellets in a 2 to 3 (2 to 3 quart) pan. Pour cold tap water into the pan until it reaches a depth of 1 inch above the pellets. Soak the pellets for 10 minutes.

Pour the Couscous into a sieve, discarding the water. Return the Couscous to its soaking pan. Slowly strain 5 deciliters or two cups of the broth from the large pot into the Couscous. Bring this mixture to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.

Slice the zucchini into 2 centimeter or 3/4 inch cubes and the peppers into 1/2 centimeter or 1/4 inch thick rings. When step 7 is completed, stir in both ingredients and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes.

It should be time to turn off the heat under the simmering Couscous pellets as soon as the zucchini and pepper mixture starts simmering in step 10. Fluff the pellets, cover the pan, and let it stand for 8 minutes. Then pour off any remaining liquid.

Mound the Couscous pellets in the center of a warm, large serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and neatly arrange them around the mound.