Supper Club: Graham Herterich shares two delicious recipes from his new cookbook

Lamb tagine with couscous
Serves 4

I have eaten many a tagine over the years, especially during my time spent in Morocco. I adore Morocco, especially its food. I don’t think there is anywhere as provocative in terms of food as an evening in Jemaa el-Fnaa Square in Marrakech. During the day, the square is filled with orange juice carts and water sellers with their brass cups and leather water bags, as well as mobile barbers and snake charmers. As the late afternoon approaches, magicians, storytellers and dancers start to arrive. But for me, the real magic happens as darkness falls, when the crowds increase and dozens of restaurants mysteriously appear out of nowhere with their strings of lights, open fires and pots bubbling away, offering harira soup, merguez sausage, fish with chermoula, mint tea, lots of different sheep bits, and of course tagine and couscous. Morocco, and especially Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, is a feast for all the senses.

Ingredients

• 600g lamb, from the shoulder, leg or shanks, trimmed and diced
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp ras el hanout
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 orange, 4 strips of rind removed with a vegetable peeler and the juice
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 fresh red chilli, pierced with a sharp knife several times
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75g slivered almonds
• 100g dried apricots, cut in half
• 100g Medjool dates, stoned and cut in half
• 2 tbsp honey

To serve

• freshly cooked couscous
• shredded fresh mint leaves
• zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Put the lamb in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the ras el hanout, cinnamon and ginger. Use clean hands to massage everything together. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan.
3. In a tagine or a heavy-based casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes before adding the garlic and cooking for a further 5 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and add the marinated lamb, then continue to cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the meat browns all over.
4. Deglaze the pan with a dash of cold water. Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes and add the orange rind and juice, rosemary and chilli and season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Put the lid on the tagine or casserole and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours.
5. Towards the end of the cooking time, make the couscous according to the packet instructions. When it’s done, fluff it up with a fork and flavour it with lots of shredded fresh mint and the lemon zest and juice.
6. Put the almonds in a small baking dish.
7. Remove the lamb from the oven and gently stir in the apricots, dates and honey. Taste and add more salt and pepper if required. Return to the oven along with the dish of almonds for another 15 minutes.
8. To serve, spoon a bed of couscous into each serving bowl. Divide the tagine among the bowls and top with the toasted almonds.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese dippers
Serves 4

If I was American and writing this book, this recipe wouldn’t be a modern recipe but rather a traditional one. Its origins in the US date back to the time after World War II, when grilled cheese sandwiches were added to the school lunch programme and tomato soup was added soon after to boost kids’ vitamin C intake. The nostalgia for this combination, along with generations of kids growing up with it in North America, has made it a truly traditional recipe. A relatively new combination here in Ireland, I’ve no doubt that in years to come Irish kids (and adults) will have the same fondness for it.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg ripe plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 200ml fresh cream, plus extra to garnish (optional)

For the grilled cheese dippers

• 8 slices of white bread
• 8 slices of processed cheese
• 50g butter, melted

To garnish

• chopped fresh chives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and all of the sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes and all the juices out on the prepared baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for
3. 15–20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and starting to colour.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes before adding the garlic and cooking for a further 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes more, then add the tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Add the roast tomatoes, bay leaves and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
6. While the soup is simmering, make the grilled cheese dippers. Cut the crusts off the slices of bread, then using a rolling pin, flatten each slice a little. Put a slice of cheese on top of each slice of bread and roll it up tightly like a mini Swiss roll. Brush generously with the melted butter and cook in batches in a frying pan over a medium heat until golden all over and the cheese is completely melted. Keep warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve.
7. Using a hand blender, blend the soup till smooth. Add the cream (if using) and heat gently. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve the soup in warm mugs or bowls with an extra drizzle of cream (if using) and a pinch of chopped fresh chives with the grilled cheese dippers on the side.