Harissa marinated lamb with herb couscous

Recipe

I love this marinade, I love Harissa – a Tunisian chilli paste with garlic and war spices. Goes so well with lamb. Really simple to mix up and has a great kick to it.

This marinade suits all three cuts of lamb with their cooking styles below. A lamb fillet or cutlets are great when short on time for midweek, or a slow roast shoulder when you are looking for the fall off the bone tender lamb.

Serve with Nicola Hawdon’s couscous to catch all the juices.

A little tip – freeze Harissa in ice cube trays to keep fresh for longer.

Serves 4. DF if you substitute the butter. Freezes well.

Pictured: Harissa marinated lamb with herb couscous

Marinade –

2 tbsp harissa*

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp olive oil

Lamb -

1 lamb shoulder on the bone/4 Lamb back strap (fillets)/12 lamb cutlets

Nicola Hawdon’s Couscous

1 cup couscous**

1 cup hot veggie stock, or hot water

Dab of olive oil and a knob of butter

1 Spanish onion

1 tbsp Fresh dill – substitute other soft herbs, parsley or chervil

Marinade - Mix all ingredients together. Cover lamb well with marinade and leave at least an hour, up to overnight.

Lamb shoulder – Preheat oven 140°C, place shoulder in a roasting dish, spoon ½ cup water in the bottom then cover tightly with foil. Roast 2 hours. Turn heat down to 110°C and roast another 1 – 4 hours depending how much time you have available and how large the shoulder. The longer it is cooked the more tender it will be. For the last hour of cooking take foil off to brown the outer skin - can add a tin of chickpeas or borlotti beans around the lamb in the liquid at this stage for an extra accompaniment.

Lamb Cutlets – Fry each cutlet 1 – 3 minutes each side on med – high heat, depending how pink you like your lamb.

Lamb Fillets/Back strap – Preheat oven 180°C. Place lamb on tray and bake 15 minutes depending on size - will continue to cook once you take it out of the oven so be sure to not overcook if you like your lamb pink.

Allow lamb to rest a few minutes, then cut and serve. Skim the fat off the cooking juices and place in a jug.

Nicola Hawdon’s Couscous –

Very easy and can be made beforehand & reheated when you need it.

In a pan with a lid pour stock over the couscous which has the olive oil and butter on it. Stir and place the lid over and wait at least 5 minutes or so before munching up with a fork.

You can serve as it at this stage too.

Meanwhile fry up the Spanish onion and add this and the fresh dill to the ready couscous.

Serve Lamb and couscous with a jug of reserved cooking juices, plain Greek yoghurt, lemon wedges and salad or beans.

*There are many brands out there now, possibly the most well-known is Cap Bon in a little yellow and red tube.

** Couscous is a small granular type of pasta which is made by sprinkling durum or hard wheat semolina grains with cold salted water and rolling and coating them in fine wheat flour. It’s a staple ingredient in North Africa. Couscous is also the name of a dish in which the grains are steamed over a spiced stew of vegetables and/or meat or chicken.