North African Lamb Stew with Couscous

North African lamb stew is what finally cured my stew phobia. A beef stew reminds me of Thursday lunch at my school canteen in South London. I didn't like it then, and it has tainted me ever since. But call it a casserole, add warm spices and a handful of couscous, and something rather different emerges.

North African Lamb Stew - Left: the finished stew. Right: the spices doing their work.

Before proceeding, could we clarify what exactly constitutes a stew? A stew is meat, fish, or vegetables cooked in liquid with a lid and served in the resulting gravy. A casserole is a vessel, usually used in the oven. Technically, this dish qualifies as a stew; however, I still feel inclined to refer to it as a casserole. Either way, virtually every country in the world has a version to claim as their own – France's boeuf bourguignon, Spain's rabo de toro, Ethiopia's wat seasoned with berbéré spice, Ireland's Irish stew. Stews have been made for thousands of years, 8,000 in the case of China. Good company to be in.

North Africa is as good a place as any to start. The spice profile here—cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon—is warm rather than hot, adding depth rather than heat. The shallots are left whole, and the sweet potato gives body. A splash of white wine, good lamb stock, and an hour on a low simmer do the rest.

If you're passing through other one-pot territory, my Cypriot Tavas with Andaluz Pork is worth a detour.

A Spiced Lamb Stew Worth the Wait

The trick with this North African lamb stew is that the tomato, herb, and lemon zest mixture is added at the end—off the heat, stirred gently, then left to rest with the lid on while the couscous steams. It keeps the freshness intact and lifts the whole dish just before serving. Don't skip it.

The recipe calls for a large carrot — and a small purple carrot if you have one. If you're curious about purple carrots, I have a post on the subject worth reading.

For the stock, homemade lamb stock is ideal. My guide to making perfect stock covers the basics, including lamb.

North African Lamb Stew with Couscous

Serves 2–3

Ingredients

• 300g lamb, cubed
• 2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 shallots, peeled and left whole
• 3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (and one small purple carrot if you have one)
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 400ml hot lamb stock
• 60ml lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and finely chopped
• Lemon zest
• Splash of white wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried mint
• 1 dried red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Couscous, to serve

Method

Drizzle the lamb with olive oil and mix in all the spices, salt and pepper. Add the shallots and toss to coat.

Heat a glug of oil in a deep-sided pan over a low to medium heat. Gently fry the onions until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, brown the lamb and shallots gently — don't rush the process and be careful not to burn the spices.

Add the cooked onions, carrot, sweet potato, and tomato purée. Cook for a minute or so.

Add a splash of white wine and cook it off.

Pour in the stock until everything is just covered. Put the lid on, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for one hour or more, until the lamb is fork tender.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes with garlic, dried herbs and lemon zest in a bowl.

When the lamb is ready, take the pan off the heat. Add the tomato mixture, stir through gently, and replace the lid. Leave to rest while you prepare the couscous.

Serve the spiced lamb stew over couscous.

This North African lamb stew recipe is part of the Lamb & Goat Hub — a collection of lamb and goat recipes from Casa Adora and the road.

This recipe is also part of the Slow Cooker & Slow Cooking Recipes collection — braised meat, one-pot casseroles, confit, and slow roasts from Casa Adora and the road, gathered in one place. Browse all recipes here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef