Tunisian Lamb Tagine with Toasted Almonds and Couscous

• 2 pounds lamb cubes for stew
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound parsnips (about 5), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
• 2 onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, preferably ground from whole seeds toasted in a dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches
• 1 dried red chile pepper
• 1/4 cup ground toasted almonds
• Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups couscous
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley or fresh cilantro, or a mixture of the two

1. Season the lamb liberally with salt to taste.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the lamb lightly in batches, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer each batch to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker after it is browned.
4. Add another tablespoon olive oil to the skillet.
5. Add the parsnips, sweet potatoes, celery, and onions and saute until lightly browned and barely tender, about 4 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and allspice, and cook until the vegetables are coated and the spices are aromatic, about 1 minute.
7. Transfer to the cooker.
8. Add the beef broth to the skillet and heat to boiling, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan; pour into the cooker.
9. Add the tomatoes to the cooker, and stir gently to combine.
10. Add the black pepper, cinnamon stick, and chile pepper, submerging the cinnamon and chile.
11. Cover the cooker and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low, until fork-tender.
12. While the stew is cooking, mix the almonds, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
13. When the stew is done, remove the cinnamon stick and chile pepper.
14. Stir in the almond mixture and cook on high until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
15. At the same time, bring the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the water to a boil in a large saucepan.
16. Stir in the couscous until fully moistened, cover, remove from the heat, and let rest for 5 minutes.
17. Serve the stew on a bed of couscous and sprinkle with chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

kosher salt, extra virgin olive oil, parsnips, sweet potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground allspice, beef broth, tomatoes, ground black pepper, cinnamon, red chile pepper, ground toasted almonds, lemon, water, couscous, fresh italian

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/tunisian-lamb-tagine-with-toasted-almonds-and-couscous (may not work)