September Spiced Stew with Couscous and Harissa
An Original Recipe by Angela Trentadue
This dish really rides the line between summer and fall. It’s a stew, which is good for chilly weather, but it’s got some great spice which reminds us that it’s not quite fall yet. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all those over-abundant (is there really such a thing?) summer vegetables that we might have had our fill of by now.
Place into a large zip-lock bag:
3 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned, stems removed and cut into 1″ cubes
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 small dried red chiles, such as thai, smashed a bit to release the oils
In a small bowl, mix together:
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tbs ground coriander seed
1 tsp paprika (preferably smoked)
pinch of cayenne
Pour mixed spices into bag with mushrooms and garlic. Finally, pour in 4 tbs olive oil. Gently knead the bag to distribute the spice rub all over the mushrooms and let sit while chopping the ingredients for the rest of the dish:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
1 small head cauliflower, trimmed into small florets
1 bell pepper (any color), stemmed and deseeded, cut into 1/2″ dice
After the mushrooms have marinated for at least 1/2 an hour and all the vegetables are cut, heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, browning on all sides and allowing any liquid to evaporate, about 8-10 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a plate and add diced onion. Cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Be careful to adjust the heat so any bits in the pan don’t burn. Chop the garlic from the mushroom spice rub and add to the onions along with: 2 bay leaves.
Cook 1-2 minutes more until the garlic is fragrant and the pan is starting to dry up.
Add:
juice of 1 lemon
Stir well, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add sweet potato, cauliflower and bell pepper and stir to coat.
To the pan, add:
4 c vegetable stock
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
Allow mixture to come to a rolling simmer over medium heat, turn down to low, cover and let cook until sweet potato is tender, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut into 1″ cubes:
1 large eggplant
Place into a colander and toss with about 1 tbs salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. When ready, pat pieces dry with paper towel and heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is very hot, carefully add eggplant in a single layer. Sear the eggplant to brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes total. Set aside with mushrooms.
Finally, bring 2 cups salted water to a rolling boil. Add
1 cup couscous
Leave pot on the burner, but turn off heat and cover. Allow to sit 15 minutes. After all water has been absorbed, stir in:
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup fine chopped parsley
To serve: Once sweet potatoes are tender, remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Gently stir eggplant and mushrooms into the stew to incorporate evenly. Serve atop couscous with a dollop of Harissa Sauce (recipe follows) and plain yogurt (preferably Greek).
Harissa Sauce (adapted from Sunday Supper at Lucques by Suzanne Goin)
Remove seeds and inner ribs from:
3 dried ancho chiles
Dry roast in a small skillet over medium high heat until blisters form. Remove to a small bowl, cover with warm water and set aside.
In same skillet, cook:
6 roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise and cores removed
Smash with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook to allow juices to evaporate and skins to darken.
Place soaked chiles and cooked tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor along with:
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
Blend until a paste forms. Scrape down sides and blend again.
With the motor running, drizzle in:
1/2 c olive oil
Adjust seasoning, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed, and serve.
Sauce will keep in refrigerator about 2 weeks.