Donal Skehan: Home Cook airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.

Ingredients

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 hours

  • 450g (1lb) minced (ground) lamb
  • 1⁄2 red onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium free-range egg
  • 2 tsp ras el hanout
  • 30g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1⁄2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 heaped tbsp harissa paste
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 100ml (scant 1⁄2 cup) chicken stock
  • 400g tin (14oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the harissa yoghurt:

  • 200g Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Harissa paste
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • Zest of one lemon

For the cous cous:

  • 200g couscous
  • A large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon

To serve:

  • Honey, to drizzle
  • Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Couscous, steamed
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Flatbreads, charred and roughly torn
  • Ras el hanout, for sprinkling

Method

  1. Mix the lamb with the red onion, garlic, egg, ras el hanout, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season well and with wet hands, shape into 20 walnut-sized balls.
  2. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat (or in the slow cooker on sauté function) and brown the meatballs all over. Transfer to a plate.
  3. To make the sauce, gently fry the onion in the same pan used for the meatballs for 5 minutes, sprinkle with some sea salt, then add the garlic, harissa and lemon zest and cook for a minute more.
  4. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock and add the meatballs back in. Simmer, uncovered in the pan for 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the meatballs are cooked through (or on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours).
  5. Add the chickpeas and cook for a further 5 minutes, while you make the harissa yoghurt and couscous.
  6. Add the harissa paste, garlic and lemon zest to the greek yoghurt. Season, mix well and set aside for serving.
  7. Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water, leaving a plate on top, until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the chopped parsley, lemon zest and season with salt & pepper.
  8. Drizzle the meatballs with honey and serve with the couscous, a dollop of yoghurt, a flatbread, some flat leaf parsley and ras el hanout sprinkled over the top.