Chakhchoukha Algerian Lamb Stew (Chakhchoukha alla Algerina con Sugo di Agnello)

La storia di questo piatto

Chakhchoukha is a dish of the Algerian highlands, tied by the sources to the Aurès and Chaoui country, to Constantine, Batna, Biskra and M'sila, and in some tellings to Kabylie; no era is documented, so here it is told as an interpretation, not a codified tradition. Torn bread and a lamb stew meet in one bowl, and that meeting is its whole voice.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Fine durum wheat semolina (re-milled)
• 240 ml Lukewarm water
• 8 g Fine salt (for the dough)
• 3 tablespoon Olive oil
• 600 g Lamb cut into pieces (shoulder or neck)
• 2 piece Onion
• 4 piece Ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
• 150 g Dried chickpeas, soaked
• 3 clove Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Harissa
• 1 teaspoon Ras el hanout
• 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 pinch Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 g Fine salt (for the stew)
• 1.3 l Water for cooking the stew
• 30 g Semolina for dusting

Preparazione

1. Start with the bread, the soul of the dish: in a large bowl mix the semolina with the 8 g of salt for the dough, pour in the 240 ml of lukewarm water gradually and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is firm yet elastic and no longer sticks to your fingers. Form a ball, grease it with 1 tablespoon of oil, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 45 minutes: this relaxes the gluten so you can roll it very thin without it shrinking back.
2. While the dough rests, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb pieces without overcrowding: let them sit undisturbed until they release easily from the bottom and have a deep golden crust, then turn them. Remove the meat and in the same fond sauté the chopped onion over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until translucent and sweetly fragrant; add the crushed garlic for one minute, without letting it darken, and a pinch of salt (about 1 g).
3. Return the lamb to the pot, add the tomato paste and toast it for a minute, stirring, until it turns a deeper red: this is how the sauce gains depth. Add the chopped tomatoes, the soaked and drained chickpeas, the harissa, ras el hanout, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and 5 g of salt, then pour in 1.3 litres of water, scraping the bottom well to recover all the flavour from the browning. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover partially and simmer for 90 minutes, until the meat falls apart under the pressure of a fork and the chickpeas are creamy inside but still whole.
4. During the last 40 minutes of the stew's cooking, divide the dough into 6-8 balls and roll each into a very thin, almost transparent disc on a surface dusted with semolina. Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium-high heat, without fat, and cook one disc at a time for 1-2 minutes per side, until bubbles and brown spots appear and the disc releases on its own: this is the rougag, thin and slightly crisp at the edges. Stack the cooked discs under a cloth to keep them soft.
5. At the end of cooking, taste the broth and season with the remaining 4 g of salt, adding it little by little: plain bread soaks up the sauce, so the broth should taste clearly seasoned, just slightly over the ideal.
6. While the discs are still warm, tear them by hand into irregular pieces the size of a large coin, never with a knife, and place them in a deep serving dish. Ladle the very hot stew broth over them little by little, stirring gently, and let rest for 5 minutes: the bread should absorb the sauce and soften while staying in pieces, with a centre still slightly al dente.
7. Arrange the meat and chickpeas on top, pour a final ladle of sauce and serve immediately, steaming, to be eaten together from the same dish. Serve some harissa on the side for those who want more heat and freshly ground pepper to enliven the dish, without overdoing it.