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1
Brown the Lamb and Build the Red Broth
15 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot. Fry the lamb pieces until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes, then add the sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes more until soft. Stir in the garlic, the tabil spices — cumin, turmeric, coriander and caraway — and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Now add the tomato paste and the harissa and fry for 2 minutes more until the oil turns deep red: this is the step that makes the broth Tunisian, because the harissa goes into the pot, not just on the side.
Frying the tomato paste and harissa in oil first is what carries their colour and heat through the whole broth — and through the couscous itself.
Done when: The lamb is browned and the oil in the pot is deep red.
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2
Simmer the Lamb and Hard Vegetables
50 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Add 1.2 litres of water, the salt, the chickpeas, pumpkin, potato and carrot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes until the lamb is nearly tender and the broth is red and thickening. The lamb should reach at least 71°C (160°F) at its thickest point.
Keep the simmer gentle — hard boiling breaks the vegetables apart before the lamb is done.
Done when: The lamb is nearly tender and the broth is red and thickening.
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3
Steam the Couscous Three Times
25 Mins
Steaming, 100°C (212°F)
Put the couscous in a wide bowl, sprinkle with 350 ml of boiling water and a pinch of salt, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, drizzle with a spoonful of oil, and steam for 10 minutes over the broth in a steamer basket. Tip it back into the bowl, sprinkle with a ladle of the red broth, fluff again, and steam for a final 10 minutes — the grain should turn orange-red as it drinks in the harissa broth.
Fluffing between steams is the secret to light, separate grains — and the ladle of broth is what colours the couscous Tunisian red.
Done when: The couscous is fluffy, separate, steaming and orange-red.
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4
Add the Cabbage and Zucchini, Fry the Peppers
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Add the cabbage wedges and zucchini to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes more until just tender. Meanwhile, fry the green peppers in the remaining olive oil for 3 minutes until blistered and soft.
The cabbage should be tender but still holding its wedge shape — if it falls apart, it went in too early.
Done when: The zucchini is tender, the cabbage is soft but intact, and the peppers are blistered.
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5
Serve Mounded on a Platter
5 Mins
Serve hot, ~70°C (158°F)
Mound the steamed couscous on a wide platter, ladle the red broth and vegetables over the top, and place the lamb pieces in the middle. Scatter the chickpeas, lay the fried green peppers on top, halve the boiled eggs around the edge, sprinkle with parsley, and serve the extra broth in a jug.
Serve it in the middle of the table — Tunisian couscous is a sharing dish.
Done when: The platter is mounded high, steaming, and the red broth glistens.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Mound the steamed couscous on a wide platter, ladle the red harissa broth and vegetables over the top, and place the lamb pieces in the middle. Scatter the chickpeas, lay the fried green peppers on top, halve the boiled eggs around the edge, and serve the extra broth in a jug so everyone can add more.
Tunisia
35m
France
Vietnam