Moroccan Braised Lamb

2 days ago 4

Democracy Dies successful Darkness

Joan Nathan's headnote for this look tells a story: "For ... French Jews from North Africa, couscous (a word that refers some to the stew and to the grain) is comfortableness food. When Suzon Meymy started cooking arsenic a young bride surviving successful Paris, her autochthonal Morocco seemed terribly acold away, truthful she wrote to her mother, asking for recipes. 'My parent was truthful unhappy that I was successful France, truthful she sent maine cooked chickenhearted and flans. What she didn't cognize was that they didn't question well, truthful we couldn't devour them erstwhile they arrived.'

"When Suzon cooks lamb couscous today, successful her tiny flat successful a Paris suburb, she uses her mother's techniques. 'My mother, who was the couscous-maker of Mogador, spent each her clip successful the kitchen,' she told me. 'I watched her and my sisters navigator for each festival successful our town. They were exhausted from truthful overmuch cooking. I saw them falling isolated with fatigue.' Suzon, a precise bully cook, takes the clip to marque this lamb stew lone erstwhile her full household is present.

"What I similar astir this astonishing look for couscous is that the vegetables are not overcooked."

Serve the lamb with couscous (see related recipe).

The harissa condiment tin beryllium prepared and refrigerated for up to 3 days. The lamb needs to beryllium cooked, cooled and refrigerated a time successful advance.

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 12-14

For the sauce

1 tablespoonful harissa (a blistery capsicum condiment with garlic, cumin and coriander; disposable astatine Whole Foods Markets and Middle Eastern markets)
1 cupful h2o from steaming the couscous (see related recipe)
Salt
Freshly crushed achromatic pepper
1 heaping spoon crushed cinnamon
1 tiny jalapeño oregon serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

For the lamb

2 bone-in lamb shoulders (about 5 pounds each)
Salt
Freshly crushed achromatic pepper
1/4 cupful rootlike oil
1 mean leek, trimmed, cleaned and chopped into tiny dice
2 mean onion, chopped into tiny dice
4 mean turnips, peeled and chopped successful half
4 mean carrots, peeled and chopped crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2-inch portion peeled ginger root, grated (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 spoon crushed cinnamon
1 spoon crushed turmeric
1/2 spoon ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice substance of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, cloves and paprika; disposable astatine Middle Eastern markets)
4 mean to 5 mean cloves garlic
Water
4 tiny zucchinis, trimmed and chopped into 4 pieces each

Nutritional Facts

Per serving (based connected 14)

Calories
370
Fat
21 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Carbohydrates
8 g
Sodium
160 mg
Cholesterol
125 mg
Protein
37 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugar
4 g

This investigation is an estimation based connected disposable ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s oregon nutritionist’s advice.

Adapted from Nathan's "Quiches, Kugels and Couscous" (Knopf, 2010).

Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick.

Published November 9, 2010

Updated March 13, 2026