Lamb Kefta Tagine with Tomatoes and Couscous

I meant to make this last week but ran out of time and stuck the lamb back in the freezer. A friend came to visit this weekend from afar - 17 hour plane ride. We had a lot of catching up to do and I didn't want to be fussing around. I don't multi-task all that well: I can cook a lot or I can talk a lot but I can't do both and I wanted to do the latter but have a good meal. I made this in about an hour, headed down to the airport and when we got back, reheated it, made the couscous, heated up some pita bread in the oven, made a simple salad of greens and vinaigrette and dinner was ready in about 20 minutes.

This is a dinner that you can cook in parts - sauce first - and store it before making the meatballs. It was eaten fast enough that I didn't have any left over to freeze, but I'm guessing it would store very well.

The only part that requires about 20 minutes of continuous effort is making the meatballs. The original recipe specified that the meatballs be the size of large cherries. I made mine about 1" in diameter and added an egg - also not called-for in the original recipe. I used a small ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs. This recipe is a definite keeper and when tomatoes aren't in season, canned will do just fine.

RECIPE: LAMB KEFTA TAGINE WITH TOMATOES and COUSCOUS

Adapted from: About: Moroccan Food
Serves 4

Equipment: I used a 10" skillet with a domed lid. After I added the lamb meatballs, I brought the dish to a simmer and then cooked it in the oven for the remainder. Instead of blanching, peeling and seeding the tomatoes, I put them through a food mill using the disk with the largest holes. I also used a small scoop to portion the meatballs.

Ingredients (Sauce):

• 1-2 tablespoons grape seed oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 medium onion, small dice 
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed and minced fine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (sweet paprika would be fine, too)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredients (Meatballs):

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4teaspoon hot paprika or 1/4 teaspoon ground hot pepper, or a large pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 350F - rack in the middle

Preparation

• Chop the tomatoes roughly and put through a food mill, using the disk with the largest holes. Set aside. Alternatively peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of grape seed oil in a pre-heated pan about 10" in diameter. Add the onions and cook on medium without coloring the onions until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the smoked (or sweet) paprika, cumin, salt and red pepper flake. Cook for a minute.
• Add the milled tomatoes to the pan and combine with the onion, garlic and spice mixture. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low - just enough to making the simmer but not scorch the mixture. Allow the tomatoes to cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the cilantro and parsley and stir to combine. Take the pan off the heat until you're ready to add the meatballs.
• Combine all the kefta (meatball) ingredients. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients. Using your hands, make meatballs, about 1" in diameter. 
• While you're shaping the meatballs, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Add a little water if the tomato sauce is looking too thick - start with 1/4 cup. Add the meatballs to the pan, leaving them partially submerged. Cover the pan and bring it to a simmer. Place the pan in the oven with the lid just slightly ajar. Cook for 25 to 35 minutes, checking half-way. Serve over couscous.

SIMPLE COUSCOUS with PINE NUTS AND HERBS
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups couscous
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro - leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preparation
Bring the water to a boil, stir in the salt and the couscous. Cover the pan and remove from the heat. Steam for 5-10 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the couscous. Stir-in the cilantro, parsley and pine nuts.

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Moroccan chard with lamb

Fresh lamb is readily available in the shops during this spring season. Many prefer lamb to ham for Easter meals. 

If you liked the Moroccan chard recipe, you'll love this dish. It comes to you courtesy of a Moroccan colleague who liked my Moroccan chard recipe. He strongly recommended using vegetable oil because of the high temperature required for searing the lamb. I, however, do not use vegetable oil. I noted his instructions but adapted the ingredients to my own taste. I used coconut oil in this, my own version of the dish he described.

Moroccan chard with lamb, steaming hot and fresh from the pan

                                                                              Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 lamb chops

2 large red-stalked chard leaves, washed

2 large white-stalked chard leaves, washed

1½ cups red onion, diced small

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground paprika

¼ teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

fresh ground sea salt

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Slice the stalks away from the washed chard leaves. Slice the stalks, crosswise, into 5 mm. (¼ in.) slices. Set aside.

Chopped chard

2. Slice the chard leaves crosswise, to produce strips about 1 cm. (less than ½ in.) wide. Then roughly chop these strips crosswise. Set aside.

3. Slice away and discard the fat from four lamb shops. Pare the meat from the bones. Slice the meat into bite-sized pieces. 

4. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and add the diced red onion. Saute over low heat for about 3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the sliced chard stalks, cayenne, black pepper, cumin and paprika.  Cook over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes. 

Sauteed red onion and chard stalks

5. Remove contents of the saute pan to a heat-proof holding dish.

6. Return the saute pan to the heat. Add the coconut oil and raise the heat to high. Add the chopped lamb and the bones to the sizzling hot coconut oil. Sear the chunks of lamb on all sides to seal in the juices, then reduce the heat to medium and fry for up to 5 minutes, until the inside is still slightly pink. 

Seared lamb

7. Add the contents of the heat-proof dish to the saute pan and heat through.

8. Add the sliced chard leaves and cook without stirring until leaves are wilted. Add sea salt to taste.

Chard slices wilting over seared lamb, chard stalks
and red onion

9. Remove from the heat and turn out into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

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