Story Published:
Apr 11, 2007 at 10:48 AM PDT
Story Updated:
Apr 11, 2007 at 10:48 AM PDT
Ingredients
- 6-8 fresh large chicken thighs, bone-in or
- 3.5-4 # Boneless top round of lamb, large cubes
- 2 cup Yellow onions, med dice
- 1 cup Carrot, med dice
- 1 cup Celery medium dice
- 3 tbl Parika
- 1 tbl Cumin
- 1 tsp Tumeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable stock
- 2 cups White wine
- 1 cup Pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 cup preserved lemons, sliced (see sub recipe)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 cups durum semolina cous cous
Directions
- Begin by rinsing meat or poultry. Combine the spices and divide in half, using 1/2 to rub on meat and the other 1/2 to add to stew later.
- Sear the meat in a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan on all sides until golden brown. Set aside. Add onion, carrot & celery while to pan while still hot.
- Sautee 5 minutes then deglaze with white wine.
- Add reamining ingredients except cilantro, olive and lemons.
- Simmer in 225 degree oven for 2 hours. add cilantro, olives and preserved lemons and continue simmering for 30 minutes.Meat should be fork-tender and moist while falling off the bone. It shouldn't be dry.
- Serve over cous cous.
- To cook cous cous, begin with 5 cups water, 1 tbl butter, pinch of cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Boil all, add cous cous, cover and remove from heat. check after 10 minutes and fluff with a fork before service.
Fast preserved lemons:
- Heat 1 cup of sugar in a pan with 2 cups of water.
- Cut 3 lemons into 1/4 sections. squeeze out juice through a strainer and reserve. Cut the pulp out of each 1/4 with a paring knife.
- Put the 1/4'ed peel sections into the water, heat to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Rinse the cooked lemons and repeat the cooking process again until lemon rinds are tender.
- Add a teaspoon of salt on the 2nd batch of sugar-water if you wish. The sections can now be julienned and added to a stew.
Slow preserved lemons:
- Cut lemons as described above and pack them into a clasp jar with 1/2-. 1 cup of Kosher salt.
- Pack the lemons tightly and make sure the "brine" of salt and lemon juice covers the lemons completely, then seal tightly.
- Your preserved lemons will be perfect in 10 days. Prepare for stew as described above.
For more information contact Chef Paul Folkestad at Western Culinary Institute Le Cordon Bleu by calling 503-223-2245 or 1-888-848-3202 to register for classes.
