Spiced Lamb with Saffron Couscous

Because I usually have a recipe in mind when I go food shopping, it’s pretty rare that I come home with a rogue ingredient. But recently, while picking up ground beef and sausage for my Meatballs and Tomato Sauce at Primal Supply, I noticed that they had ground lamb, and felt compelled to buy it.

I didn’t exactly have a goal for the ground lamb, but decided to work with ingredients that I know work well with the flavors of lamb: cumin, saffron, mint, and cinnamon.

The result was Spiced Lamb with Saffron Couscous: saffron couscous, topped with flavorful ground lamb, pistachios, feta, dried apricots, and fresh mint!

Ingredients:

Couscous:

• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed between your fingers
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Spiced Lamb:

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 2 lbs ground lamb

For topping:

• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• fresh lemon juice

To make the couscous, add the chicken broth, crushed saffron threads, and turmeric to a small pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, add the couscous, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

To make the lamb, add the cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper to a small bowl, mixing to combine.

Add the olive oil and butter to a saute pan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add in the shallots. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture and mix to thoroughly coat.

Add in the ground lamb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the pink is gone, about 5 minutes. Season with the remaining spice mixture (a little bit more than 2 tablespoons), stirring to combine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes.

When the couscous is done steaming, stir in the salt and butter. Fluff the mixture with a fork.

To serve, spoon the couscous into 4 bowls. Add the ground lamb mixture, then top with the pistachios, feta, apricots, and mint. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each bowl.

This dish is my version of perfect comfort food. The flavors of the spices complement without masking the flavor of the lamb. Pistachios add a nice crunchy texture, the feta adds creaminess with a little bit of tanginess, the dried apricots add a hint of sweetness, and the mint and lemon work to brighten up the flavors of the rest of the dish.

I love how quickly this came together as well; so much flavor in so little time!

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