Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.
Riverstone Kitchen's Moroccan lamb soup with couscous and harissa
Serves 4
500g boneless lamb shoulder, excess fat removed, cut into 2-3cm pieces
Sea salt and pepper
3 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground fenugreek, optional
½ tsp ground chilli flakes
½ tsp ground cloves
100ml olive oil
1 large carrot, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
1 large brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
½ swede, peeled, roughly chopped into 2cm pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly sliced
1 stick celery, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
800ml stock or water
¼ tsp saffron threads
¾ cup couscous
1 cup Italian parsley, picked, roughly chopped
1½ cups coriander, picked
3 spring onions, finely chopped
½ cup natural yoghurt
½ cup harissa (see below)
Harissa
2 tsp ground chilli
3 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground
3 tsp caraway seeds, roasted and ground
5 cloves garlic, peeled
10 roasted red capsicums, skin and seeds removed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp quality red wine vinegar
2 tsp sweet Spanish smoked paprika
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper
Method
Heat oven to 170degC. Lightly season lamb with a little salt and pepper and the ground spices.
Heat half of the olive oil in a wide-based ovenproof pot or deep-sided casserole dish over a medium to high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add lamb and colour on all sides until the meat is browned all over.
Remove lamb from pot, add remaining oil and the vegetables to the pan.
Cook vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent them from catching, before adding the tomato paste.
Cook tomato paste and vegetables for a further minute before returning the meat to the pan along with the stock and saffron.
Stir to combine all ingredients and cover tightly with tinfoil. Place in oven and cook for 1 hours or until the lamb is tender.
Remove from oven, discard tinfoil and stir in couscous. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before seasoning to taste.
Thin down with a little extra water or stock if a wetter consistency is desired, as the couscous will absorb a lot of the liquid.
Serve in bowls with herbs and spring onions scattered over the top and a healthy dollop of natural yoghurt and harissa to finish.
Serve immediately.
Harissa
Place chilli, cumin, caraway, garlic and peppers into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add tomato paste, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and blend to combine. Scrape contents of blender into a stainless steel bowl and whisk in olive oil and season to taste. Store harissa in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Requested by Steve Baird, of Dunedin.
This recipe comes from Bevan Smith, of Riverstone Kitchen near Oamaru.
• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, fax 474-7422, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz , including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
