Spiced Short Rib Tagine

Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the 
nuts in a pie plate until golden, 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.

In an enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown the meat over moderately high heat, turning, about 5 minutes 
per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the carrots, onion, preserved lemon, orange, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, apricots and figs to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, ginger, ras el hanout and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ribs, pomegranate juice and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven until the ribs are very tender, about 2 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, 
transfer the ribs to a plate; discard the bones. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids. Wipe out the casserole and pour in the sauce. Return the ribs to the casserole and 
simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Skim 
off any fat and keep warm.

In a heatproof bowl, stir the couscous with 1 tablespoon of 
the oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. 
In a small saucepan, bring 
1 3/4 cups of water to a boil with the ras el hanout. Stir the water into the couscous, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 
5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the radishes and turnips and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon 
juice and honey and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the couscous onto plates. Top with the short ribs and garnish with the almonds. Spoon the radishes and 
turnips alongside the meat and serve the sauce on the side.

Preserved lemons and the North African spice mix ras el hanout are available at specialty food stores and from kalustyans.com.

Puree of butternut squash.