Moroccan harira soup with harissa
12 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | cup | All-purpose flour |
| 2 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 1 | To 2 lamb shanks, trimmed (3/4 lb) | |
| 1 | large | Onion(s), coarsely chopped |
| 2 | Stalks celery with leaves coarsely chopped | |
| 1 | teaspoon | Pepper |
| ½ | teaspoon | Ground cinnamon |
| ¼ | teaspoon | Ground allspice |
| 1 | pinch | Saffron threads, crushed |
| 6 | To 8 large chicken wings (about 1 lb) | |
| 3 | quarts | Water |
| 3 | tablespoons | Pearl barley, washed |
| 1 | ounce | Small red whole dried hot chile soaked in water to cover for 1 hour |
| ½ | teaspoon | Ground coriander seeds |
| The Versatile Grain | ||
| and the | ||
| Elegant Bean | ||
| by Sheryl and Mel London | ||
| ISBN 0-671-76106-4 | ||
| pg 487-488 | ||
| ⅓ | cup | Warm water |
| 3 | tablespoons | Long-grain brown rice |
| ⅔ | cup | Whole red lentils |
| 5 | Plum tomatoes fresh or canned | |
| 1 | tablespoon | Tomato paste |
| 1 | cup | Parsley leaves |
| ½ | cup | Cilantro leaves |
| ¼ | cup | Water |
| 2 | teaspoons | Salt or to taste |
| 1 | cup | Drained, cooked chick-peas or canned chick-peas rinsed and drained |
| Lemon wedges | ||
| 1 | teaspoon | Ground cumin seeds |
| ½ | teaspoon | Caraway seeds |
| 2 | Garlic clove(s) | |
| Salt to taste | ||
| Olive oil | ||
Directions
STARTER
SOUP
HARISSA PASTE (OPT
Starter: Prepare 2-3 days in advance. Mix the flour and water together in a small non-metallic bowl, cover lightly with waxed paper and allow to ferment at room temperature in a warm place for 2-3 days. Stir it each morning with a wooden spoon.
Soup: Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy 7-qt. pot. Sear the lamb shank in the oil, add the chopped onions, celery and carrots. Add the pepper, cinnamon, allspice and saffron and saut‚, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, until the vegetables are wilted.
Add the chicken wings and water, raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Skim foam from surface and add the barley, rice and red lentils. Cover, lower heat to simmer and cook for 50 minutes.
Lift out chicken wings and lamb shank and let meats cool enough to handle. Pur‚e the tomatoes and tomato paste in the bowl of a food processor and add to the simmering soup. Then, in the same unwashed food processor, process the parsley, cilantro, and ¬ cup of water and add to the soup. Stir in the salt and the cooked chick-peas and simmer for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the chicken wings and add to the soup. Then cut the lamb from the bone into bite-size pieces and add them to the soup as well. Add 2 tbs of the sourdough starter to the hot soup and stir occasionally to thicken the soup and to heat the meats.
Serve in large bowls with a wedge of lemon to be squeezed into the soup at the table and Harissa paste, if desired.
Harissa Paste: Drain the chile peppers, discarding the water, and add all the ingredients except the olive oil to a small spice mill and pur‚e. Put the pur‚e in a jar and float some olive oil on the surface. Refrigerate; it will keep well for 2-3 weeks. Use sparingly.
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-17-95