Lamb Tagine
Recipe courtesy of Reda Faris, Executive Sous Chef, Gleneagles Country Club (Plano, Texas)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Couscous:
- all-purpose flour - 2 cups
- cold water - 5 Tbsps.
- melted butter - 1 Tbsp.
- salt - pinch
- Ingredients for Lamb Stock:
- lamb bones or shank - 1 lb.
- onion - 1 ea., chopped
- garlic - 2 cloves
- tomato paste - 2 Tbsps.
- water - 1 gal.
- Ingredients for Seasoning Mix:
- salt - 1 Tbsp.
- black pepper - 1 Tbsp.
- whole cumin - 1 Tbsp.
- whole coriander - 1 Tbsp.
- saffron - 1/2 Tbsp.
- Ingredients for Seasonal Vegetables:
- zucchini - 1 ea., seeded and cut to long, finger-wise shape
- squash - 1 ea.
- butternut squash
- carrots
- olives
- garbanzo beans
Instructions
Procedure for Couscous:
- Using a food processor, pulse the flour, adding a little water at time. Repeat until you get grains of flour that look like broken rice.
- Take out of the processor and work it between the palm of your hand to separate it. Take out big lamps if any. Keep it aside until you prepare the lamb stock.
Procedure for Lamb Stock:
- In a stock pot, add all ingredients and bring to boil.
- Skim foam regularly. Reduce to simmer for 1 hour.
Procedure for Seasoning Mix:
- Coarsely grind in spice grinder.
- Add some of the spice mix to the stoke.
To Assemble:
- Using a fine-hole sieve, steam the couscous grains over the simmering stoke and cover with cheese cloth for 4 minutes.
- Repeat steaming for second time, working in between by hand and adding melted butter. It's ready after 10 minutes.
Procedure for Lamb Chops:
- Season with fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Aear for 4 minutes in all sides.
- Using a brush, apply pomegranates molasses, then crust with sumac and cook in the oven for 6 minutes.
- Take out and let it rest.
- Blanch the vegetable in lamb stokes.
- Add some of the stoke to the couscous.
Chef's note: I like to serve mine with mint labneh for freshness.
