Couscous Royale (Couscous with Grilled Meats)

Nympha Nzeribe
Nympha Nzeribehttps://www.anteriorstrides.com/
Hi there! I'm Nympha Chinenye Nzeribe, a writer and lifestyle enthusiast. Food consumption, has since the inception of time, been an inevitable part of our lives. Here, I commit to highlighting the history, uniqueness, and cooking realities of several dishes. Stay with me.
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Couscous Royale is a traditional North African dish made with meat, vegetables, and spices. It has Amazigh (Berber) origins and is a staple dish in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya. Its popularity has spread to Europe as well. It is also Tunisia’s official national dish. couscous.

In this celebratory dish, a plate of fluffy couscous is piled high with meatballs, lamb chops, chicken skewers, merguez sausage, and a saffron-scented chickpea stew.

Origin of Couscous Royale

Couscous originated among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty, modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate, according to Charles Perry. Wheat grains could have been boiled or cracked and then boiled before being ground into flour. The precise origin of couscous is unknown. Because couscous is made from ground wheat, it appears unlikely that it could have been made before 6,000BC.

The term couscous refers to both the hard-wheat semolina grain and the dish that is built around it. The traditional method of cooking semolina uses a couscoussier, which is a two-tiered pot with a steamer above the broth. Couscous was once removed from the steamer, rolled between the hands to separate the grains, and then returned to the steamer four or five times. Fortunately, today’s pre-steamed couscous can be cooked in a matter of minutes and fluffed with a fork.

The preparation of couscous royale is literally a labor of love. Preparation time is approximately two hours, not including the time required to cook the chick peas, which should be done ahead of time by boiling in plenty of water until tender, about 90 minutes, and seasoning with salt to taste at the end.

At the table of the dish, couscous royale, the following items are typically served: a platter of couscous (the grain), a large bowl of the broth with its vegetables, a plate of the grilled and stewed meat, and a small dish of harissa, a North African hot pepper sauce.

Couscous Royale Recipe

There are literally thousands of recipes for this North African grain. With cinnamon and saffron among the spices, this one is the most similar to the Moroccan version.

Royal Couscous is a filling dish that can be customized to fit the number of people at your table. The three types of meat that make it ‘royal’ are lamb, chicken, and spicy merguez sausages.

The lamb is braised with vegetables and chick peas in a rich broth, while the chicken and sausages are grilled. When the meat, broth, and vegetables are done, they are served on a bed of fluffy couscous grain.

Couscous Royale

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Ingredients
  

For the lamb stew

  • 1 ⁄3 cup olive oil
  • 12 oz. boneless lamb shoulder trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ⁄2 cup flour
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4″-thick slices
  • 2 ribs celery roughly chopped
  • 2 small red Holland chiles stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 medium white turnip peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 medium zucchini cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 ⁄2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 ⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 ⁄4 tsp. crushed saffron threads
  • 2 sticks cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight, drained
  • 1 15-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, in juice, crushed by hand
  • 1 small head cabbage cored and roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch parsley finely chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced

For the Couscous and Mixed Grill

  • 1 lb. ground lamb
  • 3 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small onion grated
  • 1 bunch cilantro minced
  • 1 egg
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ x 2″ pieces
  • 8 baby lamp chops
  • 8 merguez sausages
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cups fine-grain couscous
  • Harissa for serving

Instructions
 

  • Make the stew: Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl; set aside. Add garlic, carrots, celery, chiles, onion, turnip, and zucchini to saucepan, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add raisins, tomato paste, paprika, ginger, saffron, cinnamon, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Return lamb to pan along with stock, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cabbage, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until meat and chickpeas are very tender, about 2½ hours. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley and juice; keep warm.
  • Marinate the meat: Place ground lamb, 1½ tbsp. paprika, 1½ tbsp. cumin, half the garlic, onion, ¾ of the cilantro, egg, and salt and pepper in a bowl, and mix until evenly combined. Divide mixture into 12 oval balls, about 1 oz. each, and place 3 balls each on 8″ wooden skewers; place skewers on a plate and refrigerate until ready to grill. Place remaining paprika, cumin, garlic, and cilantro in a bowl, add chicken and lamb chops, and season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  • Make the couscous: Bring butter, oil, and 6 cups water to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous, season with salt and pepper, and cover; remove from the heat, and let sit until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; set aside in a warm place.
  • Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Remove chicken from marinade, divide and thread among 4 more wooden skewers, and working in batches, add to grill; cook, turning once, until charred in spots and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and repeat with lamb skewers, lamb chops, and sausages, about 16 minutes for the lamb skewers, about 7 minutes for lamb chops, and about 18 minutes for sausages. Serve stew, couscous, and grilled meats together on the table with harissa on the side.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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Nympha Nzeribe
Nympha Nzeribehttps://www.anteriorstrides.com/
Hi there! I'm Nympha Chinenye Nzeribe, a writer and lifestyle enthusiast. Food consumption, has since the inception of time, been an inevitable part of our lives. Here, I commit to highlighting the history, uniqueness, and cooking realities of several dishes. Stay with me.
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