Name: Slow roast ras el hanout lamb & couscous
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 5 garlic cloves; 1 lemon juiced; 6 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix (shop-bought or see tip, below); 2 tbsp olive oil; small shoulder of lamb (about 2kg); 2 red onions cut into large wedges; 400g couscous; 100g raisins; 400g can chickpeas drained; small bunch of parsley chopped; small bunch of coriander chopped; 1 preserved lemon finely chopped or the juice of ½ lemon

Slow roast ras el hanout lamb served on an oval plate with couscous in a bowl alongside

For the lamb

5 garlic cloves
1 lemon
juiced
6 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
(shop-bought or see tip, below)
2 tbsp olive oil
small shoulder of lamb
(about 2kg)
2 red onions
cut into large wedges

For the couscous

400g couscous
100g raisins
400g can chickpeas
drained
small bunch of parsley
chopped
small bunch of coriander
chopped
1 preserved lemon
finely chopped or the juice of ½ lemon

Method

step 1
Using a pestle and mortar or a mini chopper, mash or chop the garlic with a generous pinch of salt, then add the lemon juice, ras el hanout spice mix and olive oil, then pound or chop to a rough paste. Use a small knife to make small incisions all over the lamb. Sit the lamb in a large, shallow casserole dish or deep roasting tin, then rub the paste all over the lamb and into the cuts. Leave at room temperature for 1 hr, or better still cover and chill overnight.
step 2
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Scatter the onion wedges around the lamb, then cover the dish with a lid or tightly with foil and roast for 3 hrs. Remove from the oven and uncover. Stir the onions and baste the lamb in the juices, then turn the oven up to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast the lamb, uncovered, for 25-30 mins until browned.
step 3
Lift the lamb and onions onto a board to rest and put the kettle on. Stir the couscous and raisins into the lamb dish so they’re coated in the roasting juices. Pour over enough boiling water from the kettle to just cover the couscous, then cover the dish and leave for 5 mins. Uncover and fluff the couscous up with a wooden spoon, then stir through the chickpeas, chopped herbs and preserved lemon or lemon juice, and season to taste. Bring the lamb, onions and the couscous to the table to serve.