Shared by Eva Zaghdoun
Shared by Eva Zaghdoun
Chicken Patties With Couscous and Vegetable Soup
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 2 h and 30 min
Chicken Patties With Couscous and Vegetable Soup
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 2 h and 30 minFamily Journey
Sfax, TunisiaNice, France
Paris and Washington D.C.
This recipe was shared by Eva Zaghdoun. Read more about her family in "The Tunisian Recipes Preserved During a Nurse’s Night Shift" and try her recipes for mseir (carrot and turnip salad), slata mechouia (grilled tomato and pepper salad), and chocolate mousse.
Ingredients
For the boulettes (meatballs)
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 eggs, divided
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups flour
- Canola oil for frying
For the boulettes sauce
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
For the soup
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken breasts, skin on and bone in
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 whole cloves, divided
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup of water
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
- 3 small turnips, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
- 2 cup of butternut squash, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
- 4 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces1 yellow onion, peeled
- 7 eggs
- ½ cup fresh cilantro minced
- 3 zucchinis, peeled and chopped into ½” to ¾” pieces
- 6 hearts of canned artichokes
- 2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
For the couscous
- 1 6 to 8 ounce pack store-bought couscous
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Warm water
Preparation
Step 1
Make the boulettes (meatballs): Place the onion and cilantro in a food processor and process until a smooth paste is formed, about 5 minutes. Transfer the paste into a large bowl. Add the beef, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and 3 whole eggs into the bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the meatball mixture. Take about 1 ½ tablespoons of the meatball mixture and shape it into an oval meatball. Place it into a platter and continue shaping the remaining mixture into meatballs. Set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the sauce: Place 3 tablespoons of canola oil into a wide and deep pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until browned. Add the tomato paste, 1 cup of water and salt. Mix and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 3 minutes just until the tomato paste dissolves. Turn off the heat and set the pot aside.
Step 3
Fry the boulettes: Place 2 cups of flour in a wide and shallow bowl. Crack 3 eggs into another wide and shallow bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water into the eggs. Beat the eggs well. Set aside. Put a wide and deep saucepan over medium high heat and add about ¾ inch of canola oil into the pot. While the oil is heating up, start dredging the meatballs. Take one meatball and gently place it into the bowl with flour, rolling it to cover all the edges with flour. Shake off any excess flour. Dip the floured meatball into the beaten eggs and roll the meatball so all the edges are covered with the egg. Shake off any excess eggs from the meatball. Once the oil is sizzling in the pan, gently place the dredged meatball into the oil. Repeat dredging about 5 more meatballs and place them into the oil (making sure not to overcrowd the pan). Fry the meatballs on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the fried meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate and continue dredging and frying the remaining meatballs.
Step 4
Braise the meatballs: Gently place the fried meatballs into the pan with the sauce that was set aside. Add enough water to just cover the meatballs ¾ the way up. Place the pan over medium high heat and simmer until the water is reduced in half and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the chicken and vegetable soup.
Step 5
Make the soup: Place 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the chicken drumsticks in one layer and sprinkle the onions around the drumsticks. Sear the drumsticks on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Stir the onions occasionally until they are softened and lightly browned. Meanwhile, place the coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, 2 cloves, tomato paste and ½ cup of water into a mixing bowl. Mix well until combined. Once the chicken is seared on both sides, add the spice, tomato paste and water mixture into the pot. Stir the chicken and onions in the sauce and cook for about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, turnips, butternut squash, and potatoes into the pan. Press 4 cloves into the surface of the whole onion and add it into the pot. Gently place the eggs with their shells into the pot over the vegetables. Add enough water to cover the eggs, chicken and vegetables. Cook the soup over a simmer and uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the zucchinis, artichokes and chickpeas and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken, vegetables and eggs are cooked through. Transfer the eggs from the pot and remove their shells. Place the peeled eggs back into the soup and set the soup aside.
Step 6
Cook the couscous: Place the couscous into a large heatproof bowl or baking dish. Add enough boiling water to just cover the couscous and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Once the couscous is ready use a fork to gently fluff and mix the couscous.
Step 7
To serve each individual portion: Place a small mound of couscous onto the plate, add one boulette, a chicken drumstick, an egg and some vegetables and soup over the couscous, add a teaspoon of harissa for some spice. Serve hot.
