Vegetarian couscous

[Al-khiyal]

The ultimate winter coucous

Forget couscous salad and similarly bland fare at the supermarket; this is the real thing - warmingly spicy and bursting with sweet and astringent flavours. The ingredients list may seem long, but there is actually little effort involved here. Serve it warm to four very hungry people.

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

8 shallots, peeled

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

3 bay leaves

5 tbsp olive oil

1½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp chilli flakes

300g squash, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks (cleaned weight)

100g unsulphured dried apricots, roughly chopped

200g chickpeas (cooked or tinned)

350ml water (or chickpea liquor)

170g couscous

1 big pinch saffron fronds

260ml vegetable stock

20g butter, cut into small pieces

25g harissa

25g preserved lemon, finely chopped

1 handful picked coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put the carrots, parsnips and shallots into a large, oven-proof dish, add the cinnamon, star anise, bay leaves, four tablespoons of oil, half a teaspoon of salt and all the spices, and mix. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the squash, stir and roast for 35 minutes more, by which time the vegetables should have softened but retained their bite. Add the apricots, chickpeas and liquid, then return to the oven for 10 minutes, until hot.

Around 15 minutes before the vegetables will be ready, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, the saffron and half a teaspoon of salt. Boil the stock, pour over the couscous and cover with clingfilm. Leave for 10 minutes, then add the butter and fluff up with a fork until it melts in. Cover again and leave somewhere warm.

To serve, fill the base of a deep plate with couscous. Stir the harissa and lemon into the vegetables, taste, adjust the seasoning and spoon on to the centre of the couscous. Garnish with lots of coriander.

[Bent_Bladi]

wow... this is how couscous should be eaten

*drooooooool*

[Yazou]

I made Couscous today... I was not successful.... but who cares!! I made it and I will make again... vive la bouffe Algerienne.

[Bent_Bladi]

lol! that's the spirit, yazou... keep cookin'!

[nesreen]

I find the 4 star anise and Bay leaves in the couscous a bit weird , they feel out of place . but then people s taste is different . I would probably use most ingredients except anise (which i use in chinese cooking ) and bayleaves . the garnish of coriander would definitely put me off , even if tend to use it generously on most my curries ,.


Yazou , i can help you get your couscous right , can i help ??

[Cheba_Mami]

One day it will work, and it will be perfect! Nothing without some effort!
Good luck!