Ras el Hanout-Rubbed Feather Steak with Moroccan "Ketchup" and Almond Milk Couscous

This recipe is inspired by an Ana Sortun recipe for veal shanks. Well, I didn't have veal shanks, which screwed the whole thing up, basically. I didn't even have a meat which was suitable for braising, which meant it was time for some creativity.

On the subject of meat, let's talk about my new favorite cut, the feather steak. Called 'paleron' in France, it is a lovely cut of meat which, if cut vertically, produces a steak which looks like a ribeye but has a chain of fat and sinew that looks like a feather running across the middle of it. Normally, this cut would be pounded out (to compress this chain) and flash seared.

If cut, horizontally in such as way as to exclude the sinew chain altogether, each 'half' gives you a flat sheet of succulent steak, which is suitable for about two people (a whole feather steak cut this way will produces 2 large sheets to serve 4 people). Also, we tried this out on beef fajitas a weekend ago, and found it to be superior to flank or skirt steak, which are traditionally associated with fajitas. The meat is super-soft, and not the least bit chewy or stringy.

The couscous recipe was lifted out of the cookbook Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean by Ana Sortun. It was awesome and a great compliment to the steak. The almond flavors managed to hold up to the spice of the sauce and the meat.

I am really proud of this one. The sauce had just the right heat with the harissa in it and ras el hanout seemed the right way to go with the steak. In the end, a really nice marriage of flavors. A really good, spicy red wine (Barossa Valley Shiraz, or the like) is a great accompaniment.

"KETCHUP"
½ cup dry white wine
1 pinch saffron
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small carrot, finely chopped
1 red chile, deseeded, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 pinch salt
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander seed
2 tablespoons harissa
1 can chopped tomatoes
salt, to taste

COUSCOUS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup water
1 ½ cups couscous
½ cup almonds, toasted
2 cups whole milk
salt and black pepper

STEAK
500 g feather steak, in one piece, have the butcher cut it horizontally to get rid of the sinew chain in the middle
2 good pinches ras el hanout
salt and black pepper

GARNISH
4 scallion, green part only, finely sliced
4 almonds, toasted, finely chopped

KETCHUP
Measure out the wine and add the pinch of saffron, stir and leave aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, chile, garlic, ginger and a good pinch of salt. Let this sweat down for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent, but not browning.

Add the cinnamon stick and coriander seeds and stir to combine, letting it cook for another 2 minutes or so, until aromatic. Add the harissa and stir to combine. Cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the white wine with the saffron and bring to a boil. Let this cook until the liquid is almost all evaporated. Add the can of tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

When done, check for seasoning, then tip into a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds. Strain the mixture into a bowl and set aside, discarding the solids.

COUSCOUS
Meanwhile, heat the butter and water in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Add it to the couscous and stir through. Let it sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes. While it is sitting, add the almonds and milk to a blender and blend for 3 minutes, until the almond is very fine. Strain into a bowl to get rid of the solids. Heat the milk to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from the heat.

When the 10 minutes are up, add the 1 1/2 cups of the almond milk (reserving 1/2 cup) to the couscous and stir to combine. Leave to sit for 10 minutes, uncovered. When the time is up, season to taste, and put into ramekins. Keep these warm in a low oven until needed.

STEAK
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the steak with ras el hanout, salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the steak and cook for 5 minutes or so, until nicely browned. Flip over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes, basting the top side with some of the ketchup. When the steak is done, flip briefly and coat the other side with ketchup. Give each side a quick 10-second sear to cook the ketchup in. Remove from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes.

FINISH
Add any of the steak resting juices to the remaining ketchup and stir in.

Take the ramekins with the couscous and invert a plate over the top, flipping it all over to turn the couscous out. Take the remaining 1/2 cup almond-infused milk and froth it with a immersion blender or a regular blender until frothy. Spoon some of the froth onto the couscous and top with some chopped almonds.

Slice the steak across the grain and fan out on the plate. Top with some ketchup and sprinkle all over with scallions. Serve hot.