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Cutting cooked lamb brains
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5 from 1 vote

Moroccan Lamb Brains with Eggs and Harissa

Lamb brains cooked with tomato, eggs, harissa and olives is a famous Moroccan dish.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Soaking time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 45 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Moroccan
Keyword: Brains, Lamb Brains
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 112kcal
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet

Ingredients

Brains

  • Generous 4 oz 2 small lamb brains, halved
  • 1 small lemon
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 cups water

Eggs

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seed
  • 1 15 oz can peeled tomatoes or 1 large tomato
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons harissa paste or to taste if you’re sensitive to heat
  • 1 large bell pepper seeded, ribs removed and diced ½ inch
  • 1.5 oz small handful green Castelvetrano olives, halved
  • Fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil plus more to garnish
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Preparing the brains

  • Soak the brains overnight in water, changing it a few times until it becomes clear.
  • Bring the remaining ingredients for the brains to a simmer in a non-reactive pan, cover and cook for 20 minutes, then allow to cool.

Eggs

  • Squeeze the seeds from the tomatoes, coarsely chop the tomatoes, reserving them with the juice from the can. Stir the harissa paste with the water until dissolved.
  • Meanwhile, heat an oven to 350F. Crush the caraway in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, add the garlic and mash to a paste.
  • Heat the oil in a 12 inch cast iron skillet, add the garlic-caraway mix, stir for a minute, then add the peppers and cook for a minute more.
  • Add the tomatoes and their juice, along with the brains and harissa water, bring to a simmer, then make 4 holes in which to nestle the eggs.
  • Crack the eggs in the pan, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the yolks are set but still a bit runny. Serve with toasted slices of baguette, fresh chopped cilantro, and generous drizzles of extra olive oil.

Notes

Quick Harissa Paste

Method 
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup rendered lamb fat or substitute flavorless cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon Smoked paprika
Method 
  1. Roast the bell pepper on a burner until charred all over, then put in a plastic bag, seal and allow to cool, then peel, de-seed, and coarsely chop.
  2. Combine the pepper with the garlic, oil, cumin, cayenne and the smoked paprika in a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth.
  3. Transfer the puree to a small pan and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for 15 minutes, or until the mixture is deeply caramelized, it’s orange color will change to a deep red.
  4. Alternately, the pepper paste can be baked in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes being stirred occasionally, until deeply colored.
  5. Reserve the harissa, you should have about 3 tablespoons of paste. Meanwhile, put the lamb in the freezer for 15 minutes while you allow the paste to cool.
  6. The harissa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1egg | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1879mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4845IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg