Identità Cous Cous: Alice Delcourt

Alice Delcourt, chef at Erba Brusca in Milan, won the Cous Cous Fest for two times in a row, in 2011 and 2012. Therefore, there could not be a better person for the debut of this series of dishes that will be the protagonists of this new event within Identità Golose’s Tavole dinners.

Identità Cous Cous will take place on Monday September 15th, starting at 8 pm at Alice, Viviana Varese and Sandra Ciciriello’s restaurant on the second floor of Eataly Smeraldo, in Piazza XXV Aprile in Milan. In order to participate in the event: for info and reservations call Identità’s toll free number 800.825144 or Alice Ristorante +39.02.49497340, alice@aliceristorante.it. Set price, including drinks, 40 euros.

The first recipe we present is thus that of Alice Delcourt: Couscous with braised lamb with onions and honey, raisins, almonds and spices


For 6 people

For the stock
3 carrots
3 onions
2 celery sticks
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
50 g ginger
5 juniper berries
5 cloves
10 g saffron
10 g black pepper
3 star anise pods

For the lamb
1 lamb thigh (around 2.5 kg)
2 garlic clove
5 anchovy fillets
100g soft butter
Alice’s spices*

For the couscous
500g couscous
100g raisins soaked in fruit juice
3 Tropea onions
2 carrots
½ bunch of chopped coriander
½ bunch of chopped mint
½ bunch of chopped parsley
2 lemons preserved in salt (zest)
2 lemons (zest and juice)
2 tablespoons of honey
extra virgin olive oil
butter
Alice’s spices*
salt and pepper

For the presentation
2 prickly pears
lemon juice
shaved toasted almonds
extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the stock
Fill a pot with water and add all the ingredients except for the saffron, ginger and cinnamon. Cook over a strong flame, once you have brought it to the boil, lower the flame and add the remaining ingredients.

For the lamb
Remove the exceeding fat from the thigh and carve it delicately. Pestle the garlic, anchovies and spices in a mortar, until you obtain a cream. Add the butter and mix. In a casserole tin with high borders, place the lamb and spread the cream. Cook in the oven at 160°C for 35 minutes. Add lots of stock (some 5 cm above the base). Continue to cook for around 3 hours always at 160°C, wetting the meat with the stock every hour. Once the cooking is completed, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Reduce the meat to small pieces and put them back in the stock.

For the couscous
Cook the couscous. Dice the onions, cook them until they are golden, then add the honey so they are caramelised. Dice the carrots, pan-fry them with the spices over a strong flame. Season the couscous with raisins, onions, carrots, the zest and the juice of the lemon and the herbs. Season with salt and pepper and, if necessary, add some stock so as to reach the desired humidity.

For the presentation
Cut 4 prickly pears and blend them, strain them, add the lemon and whisk adding the oil and using a hand blender. Place the couscous and the lamb above this, pour the sauce, sprinkle some Alice’s spices and the toasted almonds. Decorate the dish with the prickly pear sauce.

* Alice Spices: chopped and in equal quantities
- cumin seeds
- coriander seeds
- fennel seeds
- star anise pods
- cardamom pods
- cinnamon stick
- powdered ginger
- dried chilli pepper
- black peppercorns
- cloves