Mermez

Name: Mermez
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 3 lb lamb shoulder; 2 cups chickpeas; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons harissa; 4 cloves garlic; 3 onions; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 3 teaspoons tabil; 1 tablespoon paprika; 2 green hot peppers; salt; pepper; Pressure cooker

User Reviews

5.0

6 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings
8 people
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Tunisian, North African

Mermez

Parker Hill

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Mermez is a traditional hearty, filling chickpea stew of onions prepared with lamb or beef, that is originally from Tunisia.

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Ingredients

Servings

3 lb lamb shoulder , boneless and cut into pieces
2 cups chickpeas
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons harissa
4 cloves garlic , pressed
3 onions , cut into strips
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons tabil (Tunisian spice blend, incl. coriander, caraway, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 green hot peppers (or more)
salt
pepper

Equipment

Pressure cooker

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Instructions

Soak the chickpeas for 12 hours in cold water with baking soda.
In a pressure cooker, add the olive oil and heat it over low heat.
Add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the meat and brown on all sides for a few minutes.
Add the tomato paste and harissa and fry for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the chickpeas and mix well.
Add enough boiling water to fill ¾ of the pressure cooker and cover (without locking) for 10 minutes, until boiling.
Add the garlic and black pepper. Be careful, you should not add any salt at this point, or the chickpeas would remain hard.
Lock the pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and open it. Test the tenderness of the chickpeas and the meat and extend the cooking for 10 minutes, with the pressure cooker locked, if necessary.
Return the pressure cooker to low heat and add the cumin and the paprika. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring gently.
Finally, add the green hot peppers and salt. Mix gently and cook covered for 10 minutes.
Serve with Tunisian Italian bread.

Notes

The sauce should be compact and unctuous. So, add a little boiling water at the end of cooking or reduce the sauce by increasing the heat, if necessary.