Moroccan Meatball Stew
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2-pounds. ground lamb or beef
- 1 tsp. dry oregano
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- A little olive oil for frying the meatballs
For Braising the Meatballs:
- 1 diced carrot
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced
- 6 cups canned tomatoes, diced
- 3/4 cup currants
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 small red Chile, minced or 1 tbsp. chili paste
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 cup olives, optional
- Couscous
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 10 minutes.
- Add the ground lamb, or beef, the oregano, nutmeg, beaten egg, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
- Mix well and form into 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Fry the meatballs in in an olive oil to brown on all sides.
- Remove meatballs to a covered, oven safe pan.
- To the frying pan, add the diced carrot, celery, garlic and red onion.
- Sauté together until the onions soften, then add this mixture to the pan with the meatballs along with all the remaining ingredients except the chickpeas and olives.
- Place in oven, covered for about an hour, then add the chickpeas.
- Return to the oven for an additional hour at 325°F.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking time you can add the olives if you are using them.
- Serve over couscous.