North Africa as a guest in summer – a stew that doesn’t shy away from the heat
Pairing wine with a dish that is spicy, aromatic, hot and deep at the same time is one of the most interesting challenges of summer wine cuisine. Cold-braised leg of lamb – slow-cooked in the oven for hours, prepared the day before and served cold or lukewarm – is one of the great dishes of North African cuisine, which has long since become a tradition of its own in the south of France and throughout the Mediterranean. The leg of lamb is rubbed with ras el hanout, cumin, coriander and paprika, seared and then slowly braised with tomatoes, onions and dates until it is completely tender and the meat separates from the bone on its own. The couscous soaks up the aromatic braising liquid. The harissa – that fiery North African chili paste made from roasted paprika, chili, coriander and cumin – gives the dish a spiciness and intensity that enlivens every bite. This trio of meaty depth, spicy warmth and heat requires a red wine with body, spice and Mediterranean fruit.
Ideal wine accompaniment: Syrah IGP Pays d’Oc (Languedoc, France)
From the sun-drenched hills of the Languedoc, where Syrah develops a form of expression on limestone and clay that balances the cool spice of the northern Rhône Valley with the warmth of the south, comes a red wine of exceptional depth of aroma and accessibility. Aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, black pepper, lavender, olive, a hint of smoked meat and leather make it a natural partner to the cold-braised lamb: both have spice, depth and a smoky underlying language. The black pepper of the Syrah meets the Ras el Hanout spice blend in a direct, fascinating way – both speak the idiom of spices, but in different dialects, creating a dialog rather than a repetition. The dark fruit forms a bridge to the dates in the braised stock, the lavender spice communicates with coriander and cumin. Its tannins are firm enough for the meat, but gentle enough not to amplify the harissa spiciness. On the long, spicy finish, you can feel the lamb once again – a sign that this wine fully understands the dish.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Gigondas AOC (Southern Rhône, France)
From the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail, where Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre merge on limestone to create one of the most powerful wines of the southern Rhône, comes a red wine of dark fruit, garrigue spice and a structure that does full justice to the long braising process of the lamb. Its herbal-fruity spice – lavender, thyme, cherry, dark berries, a hint of leather – meets the North African-Provençal spice world of the dish head-on. The tannins of the Gigondas AOC are more present than in the Syrah IGP, which makes the dish even more exciting when paired with the harissa spiciness. For all those who want the southern Rhône in its fullest expression in their glass when eating braised lamb.
Rioja DOCa Reserva (Rioja, Spain)
From Rioja, where Tempranillo is aged in American wood for 12-24 months and combines vanilla, leather and cherry in an elegant, long red wine, comes a classic lamb companion from the Iberian school. The vanilla notes of the oak harmonize surprisingly well with the spices of the harissa, while its cherry and plum fruit harmoniously complements the lamb. It is less spicy than the Syrah, but more gentle and approachable. For all those who prefer Spain rather than France in a glass for a lamb harissa evening and prefer elegance over power.
Primitivo DOC Manduria (Apulia, Italy)
The concentrated dark fruit – plum, cherry, dark berry, a hint of chocolate – and the natural warmth of the Primitivo DOC Manduria from the hot Apulian hinterland carry the lamb dish in a different, more sumptuous way than the Syrah. Its depth of fruit harmonizes with the dates in the stew, its spiciness meets the harissa on a warm, flattering level. It is less peppery than the Syrah, but richer and almost a little sweet – which softens the spiciness of the harissa in a pleasant way. For all those who prefer southern Italian opulence to languedocian spice in their glass for a lamb dinner.
Pfalz Pinot Noir Spätlese dry QmP (Pfalz, Germany)
A full-bodied Palatinate Pinot Noir at the Spätlese level brings ripe cherry fruit, a subtle spiciness, fine tannins and an elegant acidity – a surprising but harmonious choice for the lamb dish. Its acidity enlivens the rich braising liquid and adds freshness after the harissa spiciness. Less powerful than the Syrah, but with an elegance that illuminates the dish from a different angle. For all those who prefer German Pinot Noir to Syrah from the south of France in their glass for a summer stew with leg of lamb.
You can find more summer recipes with matching wines on the summer and wine overview page.
The recipe:
Cold-braised leg of lamb with couscous and harissa
Cooking utensils
- 1 Large casserole with lid (ovenproof)
- 1 Heavy frying pan (for browning)
- 1 Bowl (for the spice paste)
- 1 Medium saucepan (for the couscous)
- 1 Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 Leg of lamb approx. 1.2 kg, with bone
- 2 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Onions Roughly diced
- 4 Garlic cloves pressed on
- 400 g chopped tomatoes Can
- 8 Medjool dates pitted
- 200 ml Lamb stock or vegetable stock
- Salt black pepper
FOR THE SPICE PASTE:
- 2 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 2 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp harissa paste
- Salt
FOR THE COUSCOUS:
- 200 g Couscous
- 250 ml hot chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 bunch of fresh mint and coriander
- Zest of half a lemon
- Salt
FOR THE SUPPLEMENT:
- 3 -4 tbsp harissa paste
- Greek yogurt
Preparation
PREPARATION:
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
- Mix all the ingredients for the spice paste.
- Pat the leg of lamb dry and rub all over with the spice paste.
COOKING STEPS:
- Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat.
- Fry the leg of lamb on all sides for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove and sauté the onions and garlic in the same pan.
- Add the tomatoes, dates and stock, bring to the boil once.
- Put the leg of lamb back into the pot, cover with the lid.
- Braise in the oven at 150 °C for 2.5-3 hours until the meat comes away from the bone.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Ideally, chill overnight.
- For the couscous: Bring the stock to the boil, pour over the couscous, cover and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
- Fold in the butter, mint, coriander and lemon zest, fluff up with a fork.
DIRECTIONS:
- Lift the leg of lamb out of the stock, remove the meat from the bone and roughly chop.
- Bring the braising stock to the boil and reduce a little.
- Arrange the couscous on deep plates.
- Spread the lamb on top and pour in the braising stock.
- Place a spoonful of harissa and a spoonful of yogurt on top.
- Garnish with fresh mint and coriander leaves.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- Greek yogurt with lemon zest
- Additional harissa paste for self-dosing
- Flatbread or pita for dunking
