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Moroccan Beef and Vegetable Stew with Couscous
A complex, but not difficult, meal intended for communal eating or at a party
Ingredients
| 50 g | dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained |
| 450 g | carrots, peeled and halved vertically |
| 1 small | cabbage, or half a large one, cored and cut into wedges |
| 450 g | leeks, cleaned and thickly sliced, vertically |
| 3 large | onions, quartered |
| 2 large | turnips, peeled and quartered |
| 1 large | green pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips OPTIONAL |
| 1.4 kg | beef, shank, chuck or top rib - in a single piece |
| 3 piece(s) | beef marrow bones |
| salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste | |
| 1/2 tsp | ground ginger, or 1 tsp fresh grated |
| some | saffron threads, soaked in about 100 ml hot water for 5 minutes, optional |
| 1/2 tsp | turmeric |
| 1 3/4 liter(s) | water, or sufficient to vover |
| 4 large | tomatoes, peeled and quartered |
| 3 medium | courgettes (zucchini), thickly sliced |
| 450 g | squash or pumpkin, or up to 650g if wished, peeled and cut into 2-inch, 5cm cubes. |
| 500 g | couscous |
| 500 ml | water with 2 tsp salt dissolved in it |
| 60 ml | olive oil |
Method
Preparation time: ca. 1 hr / Grade of difficulty: easy / Calories per portion: n/a
Use either a large, covered heavy-bottomed stock pot or a large couscoussier (a similar pan with a top steamer section).
Place the chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, leeks, onion, turnips, green pepper, the meat and bones, some salt and pepper, the spices and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while covered for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
With a slotted spoon, remove all the vegetables and the meat and place on a warmed plate or dish. Discard the bones.
Leave the stock in the pan and add the tomatoes, courgettes, and squash. Bring back to the boil and place the top section of the couscoussier into position. If using a stock pot, use a large sieve instead. You may need to use a towel carefully wrapped around the lip of the pan and in the space between the sieve and the pan sides to reduce steam loss.
Place the couscous into the sieve or steamer and cover with the lid. Once the couscous is steaming, lower the heat to a simmer. Remove the cover and stir and toss the couscous with a spoon for about 15-20 minutes, breaking up any large clumps.
Turn off the heat and turn out the couscous onto a deep dish. Sprinkle some of the salted water over the top and allow to absorb. Repeat once or twice more. Discard the remaining water. Cover the dish.
About 30 minutes before intending to serve, return the meat and vegetables to the stock and bring back to a boil. Return the couscous to the steamer or sieve and allow to steam through for 10-15 minutes. Remove the couscous to a dish and drizzle the oil over the top.
To serve, use a very large dish. Remove and slice the meat. Arrange the vegetables as a layer on the bottom near to the centre, and arrange the meat on top. Arrange the couscous around the sides and sprinkle some of the stock over the dish. Pour the remaining stock through a sieve into a gravy boat or jug and and serve to the side.
Options:
Use lamb or chicken alone instead of beef or a combination of all three, if wished.
Harissa, a spicy North-African sauce based on chillis and oil, is sometimes also served to the side or added to the dish immediately before serving.
About this recipe:
This is another recipe obtained from a Moroccan-born former colleague. His wife, also North-African but not Moroccan, made a batch and brought it to the office one day, packed in several large vacuum containers. Apparently, it was something she had done for several years on a particular occasion but not always the same dish. It was really delicious and quite spicy, possibly as a result of the addition of harissa.
This is rather too large a recipe for my normal needs and, although I once intended to make it for a party, I had to cancel due to illness within the family.
Place the chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, leeks, onion, turnips, green pepper, the meat and bones, some salt and pepper, the spices and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while covered for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
With a slotted spoon, remove all the vegetables and the meat and place on a warmed plate or dish. Discard the bones.
Leave the stock in the pan and add the tomatoes, courgettes, and squash. Bring back to the boil and place the top section of the couscoussier into position. If using a stock pot, use a large sieve instead. You may need to use a towel carefully wrapped around the lip of the pan and in the space between the sieve and the pan sides to reduce steam loss.
Place the couscous into the sieve or steamer and cover with the lid. Once the couscous is steaming, lower the heat to a simmer. Remove the cover and stir and toss the couscous with a spoon for about 15-20 minutes, breaking up any large clumps.
Turn off the heat and turn out the couscous onto a deep dish. Sprinkle some of the salted water over the top and allow to absorb. Repeat once or twice more. Discard the remaining water. Cover the dish.
About 30 minutes before intending to serve, return the meat and vegetables to the stock and bring back to a boil. Return the couscous to the steamer or sieve and allow to steam through for 10-15 minutes. Remove the couscous to a dish and drizzle the oil over the top.
To serve, use a very large dish. Remove and slice the meat. Arrange the vegetables as a layer on the bottom near to the centre, and arrange the meat on top. Arrange the couscous around the sides and sprinkle some of the stock over the dish. Pour the remaining stock through a sieve into a gravy boat or jug and and serve to the side.
Options:
Use lamb or chicken alone instead of beef or a combination of all three, if wished.
Harissa, a spicy North-African sauce based on chillis and oil, is sometimes also served to the side or added to the dish immediately before serving.
About this recipe:
This is another recipe obtained from a Moroccan-born former colleague. His wife, also North-African but not Moroccan, made a batch and brought it to the office one day, packed in several large vacuum containers. Apparently, it was something she had done for several years on a particular occasion but not always the same dish. It was really delicious and quite spicy, possibly as a result of the addition of harissa.
This is rather too large a recipe for my normal needs and, although I once intended to make it for a party, I had to cancel due to illness within the family.
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