Harissa meatballs

Ingredients
2 small red onions, very finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves, crushed or very finely chopped 
4 tsp baharat 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
10g fresh parsley, very finely chopped 
500g lamb mince 
3 tbsp harissa paste 
600ml passata 
300ml chicken stock 
1 tsp sugar 
240g couscous 
1 stock pot 
½ lemon 
4 tbsp yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche  
Flavourless oil 
Salt  
Freshly ground black pepper 

Method
In a large heavy based pan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over a medium high heat.  Cook one of your chopped onion for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add 1 garlic clove and cook for a further minute.  Add 2 tsp of the baharat and the cinnamon and cook for another minute.  Put your onion mix into a mixing bowl and put your pot to one side for later.

To the onions add ¾ of the parsley and the mince, ½ tsp of salt, a good grind of black pepper and mix together.  Mixing is best done with your hands so you can squish the mix together properly but if you don’t like the idea then use a fork to mix and mush together.  Divide the mixture into equal sized balls, I like mine to be the size of a walnut but they can actually be whatever size you like best.  Now cover the meatballs with clingfilm and put into the fridge for at least half an hour although an hour is best.  

After your meatballs have rested, heat a tbsp of oil in the pan you used earlier and fry them over a medium high heat for around 10 minutes until golden. Don’t worry about them being cooked through at this point because they will finish in the sauce. 

Once the meatballs are golden, remove them from the pan, add your second chopped onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add your remaining garlic clove and cook for a further minute stirring to prevent it burning.  Add the harissa paste, stir and add the passata, stock, sugar and a good grind of black pepper.  Cook until the sauce is bubbling and hot.  Give it a good stir and put the meatballs back.  Turn the heat down a little, put the lid on and cook for 20 minutes, very carefully stirring from time to time. 

After 15 minutes, check your sauce for seasoning, if it is a little sharp add another tsp of sugar and add more salt if needed. 

Boil your kettle and make 500ml stock.  Add the couscous, stir and cover either with a plate or clingfilm and leave for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes stir with a fork and check your couscous is soft.  If it is not, add a splash more water, stir and cover for an additional minute.  When the couscous is soft, add the juice of  ½ a lemon and stir through.  

Serve the meatballs over the couscous, topped with the yogurt and the remaining parsley leaves. 

- An adaptation of this recipe