Moroccan stews, or tagines as they are better known, are not meant to be thick and rich like our British stews, but rather a little more light and soupy. So don’t allow the liquid to reduce back too far during cooking.
Serves 4-6
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg diced braising steak
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
6 plum tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
1 x 7.5cm piece of cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons clear honey
1 small preserved lemon, finely chopped OR 2 pared strips lemon zest
750ml beef stock
450g prepared butternut squash (i.e. halved, deseeded and peeled), cut into small chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the charmoula:
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons harissa paste or 1 teaspoon minced red chilli from a jar (sambal oelek)
A good pinch of saffron strands
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small handful of coriander leaves
1 small handful of mint leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
For the buttered couscous:
450g couscous
450ml boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
25g butter
- First make the charmoula by putting all the ingredients into a food processor with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and blending to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole. Fry the steak in 2 batches until lightly browned all over, then lift onto a plate. Add the remaining oil and onions to the pan and fry over a medium heat until soft and nicely browned.
- Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, ginger, honey and 2 tablespoons of the charmoula and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Return the beef to the casserole and add the preserved lemon or strips of lemon zest, the stock, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Part-cover and leave to simmer gently for 11/2 hours.
- Now gently stir in the prepared butternut squash and simmer, uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the squash is tender and the sauce has reduced a little more.
- Meanwhile, put the couscous and salt into a large bowl and stir in the boiling water. Cover with a tea towel and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Then uncover and fluff up into separate grains with a fork. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the couscous and stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes until heated through.
- When both the beef and butternut squash are tender, stir in the remaining charmoula and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with the buttered couscous.
Recipe by Debbie Major
