About this Dish
Friday couscous is as sacred in Morocco as Sunday roast is in Britain — a communal meal of hand-rolled semolina grains steamed three times until impossibly light, topped with slow-braised vegetables, chickpeas and lamb. The couscous is the centrepiece, not a side dish. Hand-rolling the grains is a skill passed from mother to daughter.
IngredientsServes 6
🌾Medium-grain couscous semolina, 500g (not instant if you can find it)
🥩Bone-in lamb shoulder pieces, 800g
🧅Brown onions, 2 large, roughly chopped
🥕Carrots, 3 large, halved lengthways
🎃Butternut squash, half a medium one, cut into large chunks
🫘Courgettes, 2 medium, halved lengthways
🫘Canned chickpeas, 400g tin, drained
🫙Ras el hanout spice blend, 2 heaped teaspoons
🍅Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons
🧈Unsalted butter, 50g, cold and cubed
Method
1
Put the lamb pieces in a large heavy pot with the onions, ras el hanout, tomato paste, a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover — about 1.2 litres. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.2
Spread the dry couscous in a wide, shallow dish and sprinkle over about 150ml cold salted water a little at a time, rubbing the grains between your palms as you go to coat each one — this is the hand-rolling step that makes the couscous light. Leave it to swell for 10 minutes, then rub again to break up any clumps.3
Add the carrots and squash to the simmering lamb broth, then set a couscoussier or a colander lined with muslin over the pot so it sits above the broth. Pile the couscous into the colander, making sure no steam escapes from the sides — wrap a damp tea towel around the join if needed. Steam uncovered for 20 minutes.4
Tip the couscous back into your dish, sprinkle over another 100ml salted water and the cold butter cubes, and rake through with a fork to separate every grain, letting the butter melt in. Leave uncovered for 5 minutes.5
Add the courgettes and drained chickpeas to the broth with the lamb and vegetables, and return the couscous to steam for a final 15 minutes until the grains are impossibly fluffy and the lamb is falling off the bone.6
To serve, mound the couscous in a deep communal dish, make a well in the centre and pile in the lamb and vegetables. Ladle some of the golden broth generously over everything, and serve the rest of the broth in a jug on the side for people to pour over as they eat.User Reviews
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