Harissa Meatball & Squash Stew
A big part of cooking well is landing on a selection of good flavor combinations that you like. For instance, I really love lamb. Lamb is a slightly gamey and bolder meat, especially for American palettes, than other types of meat. It withstands heat and acid very well and it practically begs for fresh herbs for balance. I love Indian and Middle Eastern flavors, so those combinations make sense to me. I also love a good lamb chop with a minty peas or a salad with a vinegar-based dressing. Getting familiar with some basic flavor combinations and following your instincts while you’re cooking can get you pretty far.
This harissa lamb and squash stew borne out of a need to use a yellow squash before it spoiled. I had some ground turkey and lamb in the freezer, which I mixed to make my meatballs, and I had my tub of harissa to get me through the rest of the dish. Harissa is a very spicy red chili paste from North Africa - it is very bold and especially if you’re spice-averse, a little goes a long way. I usually mellow it out with tomato paste and canned tomatoes but it really does go really well with lamb. I served my stew over couscous (the semolina kind, not the pearled kind) but would also work with rice or some warm pita bread. This dish is adjacent to the flavors of a tagine but it’s nowhere near anything authentic; it’s just a dish inspired by things I like to eat!
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
5 oz ground lamb
5 oz ground turkey (I’m trying to eat lighter'; you can make your meatballs 100% lamb)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp harissa (use half to make it milder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 yellow squash, sliced into rounds or quarters
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1-1.5 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 preserved lemon, chopped OR juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
salt to taste
Method
Prepare the meatballs. Mix the ground turkey and lamb, season with salt, and form into 10-12 meatballs. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add the 1 tbsp of oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the meatballs to the pan and press down to flatten gently. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until a brown crust forms. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the onions and a pinch of salt. If the onions are sticking to the pan, add a little oil and a splash of water. Cook for 10 mins, or until the onions have softened. Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, and harissa and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring frequently.
Next, add the spices - cumin, coriander, and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds or so to toast the spices, being careful not to burn them. Then, add the squash and toss again for another 30 seconds or so. Then add the crushed tomatoes and cook for about 5 min, working to deglaze the pan. Now add then chicken broth (or water) and mix well. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 10 mins, undisturbed.
Lastly, stir in the preserved lemon (or lemon juice) and cook uncovered for 5 mins. Add the mint leaves, mix well, and turn off the heat. Let the skillet stand off the stove for 5-10 mins. Serve over couscous and garnish with more mint leaves!
