Arabian honey – roast lamb with onion compote and couscous

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 shoulder of lamb, boned (approx. 1100 g)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch(s) of cayenne pepper
• 80 ml honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp water
• 125 g butter
• 750 g onion(s), diced
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Raz-El-Hanut spice mix
• 45 ml honey
• 30 ml vinegar (sherry)
• 1 pinch(s) thyme, dried
• 1 pinch(s) mint, chopped
• 250 g couscous
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Raz-El-Hanut spice mix
• 250 ml water
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 tbsp almond(s), flakes
• 1 onion(s)
• 5 tomatoes, peeled, without stem
• 1 bell pepper(s), red
• 1 small zucchini
• 4 okra
• ½ tsp spice mix (Tabil)*
• ½ tsp spice mix (Harissa)**
• 5 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Arabic cuisine

Brown the lamb shoulder on all sides in a pan and cook in the oven at 160°C for one hour. Combine the salt, cayenne pepper, honey, olive oil, and water with a hand blender. Brush the roast with this mixture every 10 minutes. For the onion compote, lightly brown the butter in a saucepan. Finely dice the onions and garlic. Add the raz el hanut spice, honey, and salt. Cook over low heat with the lid closed for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add the vinegar. Cook uncovered over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the dried thyme and mint. Add two tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, the raz el hanut, and salt to the couscous and mix. Pour over a quarter liter of boiling water and let it absorb the liquid. It’s best to rub the semolina apart between your hands. Add the remaining olive oil and test for doneness. If the semolina still has a hard core, add a little more boiling water. Before serving, heat the semolina a la minute. To do this, fill a tall pot with 5 cm of water and bring to a boil. Hang a sieve into the sieve, making sure the mesh is fine enough so that the semolina doesn’t fall through. Mix the raisins and almonds into the semolina and add it to the sieve. Heat with the lid closed for about three minutes. For the vegetables, peel the onion. Cut it into eighths, starting from the stalk and separate the leaves. Sauté in olive oil. Roughly dice the tomatoes, add them, and bring to a boil. Deseed the bell pepper, cut them into eighths, and add them. Dice the zucchini and cook for about three minutes. Finally, add the okra and the tabil and harissa spice blends. Carve the roast lamb and arrange the couscous flat in a large pastry cutter. Place the meat on top, flush with the couscous, and place the vegetables in the middle. Spread the onion compote in a circle. *Tabil spice mix: cumin, coriander, dried chili, and garlic. **Harissa spice mix: dried chili, garlic, caraway, cumin, coriander, and dried mint.