Couscous Royale
Tunisia
Rédacteur en chef
London, United Kingdom ·
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London, United Kingdom ·
Couscous royale is a plate of fluffy couscous piled with grilled meats and a saffron-scented chickpea and vegetable stew, and it is celebration food. Meatball skewers, lamb chops, chicken skewers and merguez sausage all appear on the same plate, which is what the royale in the name is describing. Couscous itself is Amazigh in origin. It is a staple across Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya, and it is Tunisia's official national dish. The food historian Charles Perry places its origin among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco somewhere between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate. The precise origin is not known, and since couscous is made from ground wheat it is unlikely to predate about 6000 BC. The word names both the semolina grain and the dish built around it. Traditionally the grain is steamed in a couscoussier, a two-tier pot with a steamer sitting above the broth, and it is removed, rolled between the hands to separate the grains, and returned to the steamer four or five times. Pre-steamed couscous has made that unnecessary for everyday cooking. Couscous royale is not everyday cooking: it takes roughly two hours of preparation before the chickpeas are even accounted for.
Couscous is Amazigh in origin and is a staple of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya, and Tunisia's official national dish. Its origin has been placed among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the 11th-century Zirid dynasty and the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate.
heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season the lamb with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the garlic, carrots, celery, chillies, onion, turnip and courgette to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Add the raisins, tomato paste, paprika, ginger, saffron, cinnamon and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelised, about 3 minutes.
Return the lamb to the pan with the stock, chickpeas, tomatoes and cabbage, and bring to the boil. Reduce to medium and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the meat and chickpeas are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Season, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and keep warm.
combine the ground lamb, half the paprika and cumin, half the garlic, the minced onion, three quarters of the coriander, the egg, salt and pepper, and mix well. Divide into 12 oval balls of about 1 oz each and thread 3 onto each of 4 skewers. Refrigerate.
Put the remaining paprika, cumin, garlic and coriander in a bowl, add the chicken and lamb chops, season, and toss to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
bring the butter, oil and 6 cups of water to the boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, season, and cover. Remove from the heat and let it sit until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high, or use a cast iron grill pan.
Thread the marinated chicken onto 4 more skewers and grill in batches, turning once, until charred in spots and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Grill the lamb skewers for about 16 minutes, the lamb chops for about 7 minutes and the sausages for about 18 minutes.
Pile the couscous on a large platter, arrange the grilled meats on top and serve the stew alongside, with harissa.
Notes personnelles de Nympha Nzeribe5 avis
Had to pop into three different supermarkets before I finally found red Holland chillies, but I am glad I didn't swap them. The sweetness of the cooked cabbage and turnip balanced out the heat nicely. Only downside was my lamb kebabs kept falling off the wooden skewers while frying.
Browning that lamb shoulder after coating in flour gave the stew such a thick base, but my standard Dallas Kroger didnt have Holland chillies so I just used serranos. The 2.5 hour simmer made the meat so soft it was falling apart o. My husband cleaned his plate completely.
Baie lekker recipe! I actually did the ground lamb skewers over the open coals on the braai instead of inside, gave them an incredible smoky char that went brilliantly with the sweet raisin and tomato stew. The fine grain couscous soaked up all that gravy like a dream.
Abeg that 180 minute cook time is no joke at all, you really need to set aside your whole afternoon. Couldn't find white turnip at the market near me so I doubled up on the courgette and carrots instead. Meat came out melting tender after the 2 half hours on the stove.
Got beautiful halal lamb shoulder from the butcher on Stapleton Road for this. The cinnamon and saffron with the raisins in the stew reminded me a bit of the rich depth we get in proper benachin, though the steamed couscous is different. Shaping those 12 mini kebabs took patience sha but well worth it.