Ever since my meal at Chez Omar in Paris I’ve been dreaming about couscous with vegetable stew. So of course I spent a while trying to find something to replicate it.
The closest I came was this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen. Interestingly enough their quest for a couscous recipe was triggered by a visit to Chez Omar too. I’m telling you, that place is magical!
I made a ton of changes to this recipe to bring it closer to my Chez Omar experience and to account for things that I wasn’t particularly interested in. I scrapped the olives, preserved lemons and all the garnishes. I added sweet potato, carrots, zucchini and celery. I forgot to buy saffron so I didn’t use it. To spice things up I added some paprika and some cayenne pepper.
This might be my new favourite dish. It’s a great way to eat a ton of vegetables and still having a filling meal. I can tell already that this might be the type of thing I make every other week. Loved it!
Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew
Serves 6 to 8
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound butternut squash, large dice
3/4 pound red potatoes, large dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 cup brined green olives
Steamed couscous, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Hot sauce of your choice (for serving)
Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives. Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro, almonds, and yogurt.
(Recipe via Smitten Kitchen which is an adaptation of this recipe)
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It is look so good in picture. Just seen in picture, I make my mind that I am surely going to try this one. This weekend I am going to give surprise to my girlfriend because her birthday on this weekend. I will try my level best to make this dish!
I was recently in Paris for 2 months and I ate couscous at Chez Omar 5 times. It didn’t have any green olives, almonds (toasted or otherwise) or yogurt. I am going to make this dish tonight with 3 kinds of sausages (just like in the restaurant). I’ll get back to you about how “authentic” this recipe is.
Every time I ordered it, I ordered it with a different kind of meat and my table-mate would order something different than mine, so we got to taste almost everything… and all the meats were just succulent and falling-off-the bone. I am not going to put butternut squash in it because it will overwhelm all the flavors. And, also, you are wrong about it not having carrots and celery in it…. The carrots were my favorite part! I will let you know how mine turns out. Thanks for posting this.
Here is the recipe I made, and I must say that every time I came into the house from grilling the meat outside, it transported me straight back to Chez Omar in Paris. I nailed it!!! My husband and I made 2 full meals out of it and it was delicious. I am going to prepare it again when we have friends over in May for a little dinner party. I also found the best way EVER to make the actual couscous, so I will share that here as well. Chez Omar also used zucchini, but it was always woefully overcooked, so if you really want to use it, add it in medium dice around the last 5 minutes of cooking. You want the carrots, celery and potatoes to be fork-tender, but not stringy and over-cooked. This recipe could not be more simple and if you don’t have ghee (which is very easy to make… I make 5 pound batches once a year) then just use a light-tasting olive oil. If you MUST use saffron, use it in the couscous….as you will actually be able to taste it there.
Serves 4
For the Veggie Stew:
1 teaspoon each Ghee and light olive oil (butter will burn)
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
4 to 6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced, green cores removed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons paprika (optional… I did not use…if you like it hot, add Hungarian paprika)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound red potatoes, large dice, leave skins on
8 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 4 pieces, each
8 stalks of celery, trimmed, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
2 cups boxed chicken or vegetable broth (homemade, if you have it!)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (basically one regular sized can, drained)
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/4 cup fresh fennel tops (I did not use saffron, for the delicate taste of it would have been lost)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (substitute fresh parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
Extra parsley or cilantro for garnish (keep to the side)
Heat ghee and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer but before it begins to smoke, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally over low heat, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not allow onions and garlic to brown. If you are using paprika, add it at the same time as he cumin and the cinnamon.
Add carrots, celery and potatoes, stir to just to coat. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices. Bring mixture to a lively simmer then reduce heat to low. Add in the fennel and the cilantro and/or parsley (I used both). Stir again and taste for spices and correct if necessary. Cover and simmer until potatoes, celery and carrots are fork tender, about 10 minutes. At this point, the stew can hold and be re-heated when you need it, and more liquid can be added to it if you like it really soupy. When ready, garnish with more parsley and/or cilantro and set it in the middle of the table with a big ladle.
For the Couscous:
2 cups couscous (regular or whole wheat)
2 cups boiling water or stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
In a heat-proof bowl, stir the oil into the dry couscous and add the salt, making sure all grains are coated in oil. You may also use melted ghee (this is what I used). Bring the 2 cups of liquid to a boil. 5 minutes before serving, pour the boiling liquid over the grain and place a lid or a dish atop the bowl. After 5 minutes, fluff lightly with a fork and serve in a warmed dish for the table. Do not “fluff” with a spoon!
If you are serving any kind of meat, have it ready to go or even make it the day before (especially if you are serving a crowd). At Chez Omar, I saw everything from braised short ribs, platters of mixed sausages, a broiled half-chicken, mixed grill, kabobs, braised lamb or veal shank a roast that resembled a small pot roast and brisket. If having a big crowd, choose 2 or 3 meats and serve them in the center of the table, cut into manageable sizes. Decorate the meat platter with sprigs of parsley or cilantro. Also, serve harissa (a spicy paste made from red peppers~~recipes easily found on the internet and also available in any Moroccan grocery store) on the side for those who enjoy spice.
Both the stew and the couscous can easily be doubled or tripled. Serve with knives (if serving meat) and forks and soup spoons for the liquid. Serve with a bottle of not-too-dry Rose.
Bon Appetite!!!!!
PS: The last night I ate in Chez Omar, Monsieur Omar came to sit with me and we drank tea together. I asked him for the recipe, and he says that he does not give it out, but he did rattle off the basics to me. If you are ever in Paris, be sure to eat here at least once….and save room for the dainties that they bring around to each table that are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious. And don’t forget to order the highly sugared strong mint tea. If you get there after 5:30, be prepared to wait in line….but the line does go fast. And definitely order the house Rose. It’s perfect with the couscous as well as being inexpensive.
WOW! Thank you so much for sharing. I will have to give this a try next time.