Moroccan Spiced Lamb Belly with Herby Couscous

Lamb belly needs a long, slow cook to render out the fat and make the meat tender. This one-pan version is very low maintenance and full of warming Moroccan flavours, perfect for winter entertaining.

Prep:
10 mins + marinating time
Cook:
3 hrs 5 mins
Serves:
2-3

Ingredients

1 Fresh Meats rolled lamb belly

1 Tbsp ras el hanout

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, sliced

½ tsp turmeric

1 tin yellow cherry tomatoes

½ cup dried apricots, sliced

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

500ml chicken stock

¾ cup instant couscous

1 tsp dried dill tips

2 cups of any combination of dill, mint, coriander, and parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Method

Pat the lamb dry and rub all over with the ras el hanout. Leave to marinate for at least an hour (or even overnight). Bring to room temperature an hour before cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Put the oil and onion into a dutch oven or casserole dish and place the lamb on top of the onions. Roast for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 160°C. Add the turmeric, tomatoes, apricots, chickpeas, and stock to the dish and cook for another 2½ hours.

Remove from the oven, take out the lamb and set aside to rest for 15 minutes in a warm spot. Skim any fat from the surface of the liquid in the pan. Add the couscous and dill, cover with a lid, and leave for 10 minutes. Stir through ¼ of the herbs, keeping ¼ aside for garnishing.

Put the remaining herbs into a blender with the garlic and yoghurt and blitz until smooth.

Season the couscous to taste, then put it onto a warmed platter. Remove the string from the lamb and slice, then arrange the sliced lamb on top of the couscous. Drizzle over the yoghurt sauce and scatter with the remaining herbs to serve.