Marinated Roast Lamb and Vegetable Couscous
James Beard award-winning Chef Susan Spicer draws on the Middle East for inspiration for this dish. Marinated lamb is roasted, sliced, and served over couscous, a North African staple of steamed semolina, along with a spicy and savory vegetable stew. There’s even a hot sauce to spoon over everything.
Ingredients
- Marinade
- Honey - 2 Tablespoons
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Garlic - 2 teaspoons, minced
- Whole fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Cumin Seed - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Chili Paste - 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Vegetable Stew
- Parsley and cilantro - Sprigs
- Cinnamon - 1 stick
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Green Bell Pepper - 1 small, seeded, deribbed, and diced
- Tomatoes - 2, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Vegetable Broth - 6 cups (alt. lamb broth)
- Saffron - Pinch
- Carrot - 1, peeled and diced
- Zucchini - 1, diced
- Turnips - 1, diced
- Butternut - 1 cup (alt. acorn squash), cooked, diced and peeled
- Chick Peas - 1/2 cup, cooked
- Couscous
- Water - 1 cup, boiling
- Couscous - 1/2 pound (1/2 box)
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons (alt. butter, or a combination of the two)
- Parsley - 2 tablespoons, minced, fresh
- Cilantro - 2 tablespoons, minced, fresh
- Green Onions - 1/2 bunch, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Hot Sauce (makes about 1 cup)
- Vegetable Stock - 1 cup (alt. meat stock)
- Chili Paste - 1 teaspoon
- Lemon Juice - 1 teaspoon, fresh
- Garlic - 1/2 teaspoon, minced
- Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Parsley - 1 teaspoon, chopped, fresh
- Cilantro - 1 teaspoon, chopped, fresh
- Cilantro - 4 to 6 sprigs, fresh
Instructions
To marinate the lamb: Whisk all of the ingredients together. Pour into a deep non-aluminum container, add the lamb, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the lamb in an ovenproof casserole. Put in the oven and reduce the heat to 300 F. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until medium-rare.
To make the vegetable stew: Tie several parsley and cilantro sprigs to a cinnamon stick with white cotton string; set aside. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and peppers for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the diced tomatoes, then the broth, saffron, and cinnamon-herb bundle. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add all the remaining vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Keep warm.
To make the couscous: Add the couscous to the boiling water. Stir, cover, and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover, stir to break up any lumps, and stir in the olive oil and/or butter, herbs, and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
To make the hot sauce: Combine all ingredients and set aside.
To serve: Center each plate with a mound of couscous. Overlap three slices of lamb on one side of the couscous, and fill the remaining space with vegetable stew. Drizzle with hot sauce and garnish with cilantro sprigs.
