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Moroccan Lamb Shoulder with Labneh and Jewelled Couscous
Recipe by Julie Goodwin
This mouthwatering spiced Moroccan lamb shoulder is the perfect dish to share with and family.
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Spiced Moroccan Lamb Shoulder
Labne
Pickled Onion
Smoky Eggplant Dip
Harissa Yoghurt
Chermoula
Jewelled Couscous
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Steps
- Preheat the oven to 80°C.
- For the Spiced Moroccan Lamb Shoulder, place the onion slices, garlic, orange slices, ginger and dates into the base of a deep heavy-based roasting dish. Combine the dry spices including the salt and pepper. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the lamb then rub with spice mix, ensuring the lamb is well coated.
- Place a large chef’s pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add the lamb and brown all over.
- Transfer the lamb to the orange onion bed in the dish. Add the beef stock to the chef’s pan and bring to the boil. Pour into the roasting dish around the lamb then wrap very tightly with foil, to ensure no steam can escape. Braise in the oven for 18 hours. Alternatively, the lamb can be baked at 120oC for 4 hours.
- Remove the roasting dish from the oven. Transfer the lamb to an oven tray. It should be very soft and falling away from the bone. Cover with foil and set aside. Strain the braising liquid from the baking tray into a saucepan. Reserve 2 cups for the couscous. Bring liquid in the saucepan to the boil, and boil until reduced to a rich syrupy consistency.
- Adjust oven setting to grill. Place the lamb under the grill and baste with the reduced sauce. Repeat this process several times until the glaze over the lamb is dark and sticky. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.
- For the Labne, stir the salt through the yoghurt. Place the yoghurt into a muslin lined colander over a deep bowl. Cover with cling film and place into the fridge for 18 hours.
- For the Pickled Onions, place the onions in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir vinegar, salt and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil then pour over the onion. Allow to cool slightly, cover then place in the fridge overnight. Drain well to serve.
- For the Smoky Eggplant Dip, lightly score the eggplants and place onto a wire rack directly over a gas burner of a cooktop (for extra smokiness) or under a hot grill. Turn the eggplant regularly, until all the skin is charred and the flesh is soft. Place into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until cool. Discard the skin and place the eggplant flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Blend until thoroughly combined, scraping down the inside of the jug occasionally. Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with a swirl of olive oil.
- For the Harissa Yoghurt, combine harissa paste and yoghurt in a bowl, adding harissa according to how spicy you would like it. Cover and set aside in the fridge.
- For the Chermoula, place ingredients, except oil, into the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and blend until the sauce is homogenous with some texture to it. Scrape down the inside of the bowl as needed. Season with salt, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside in the fridge.
- For the Jewelled Couscous, place the reserved braising liquid (or stock) and couscous into a saucepan. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is al dente. Stir in remaining ingredients and transfer to a serving bowl.
- To serve, spread labne over a large serving plate and top with the leg of lamb. Serve bowls of couscous, smoky eggplant dip, chermoula and harissa yoghurt on the side. Garnish with mint leaves, pomegranate seeds, nuts and a sprinkle of pickled onions.
