Couscous Royale for the Family Table

⏱ 105 min · Serves 6

The showstopper of Maghrebi cooking: fluffy buttered couscous crowned with lamb, chicken and spicy merguez, plus honey-sweet vegetables in a saffron broth. Serve with harissa loosened with a ladle of stock and let everyone build their own bowl.

Per serving: 885 kcal · 58.0g protein · 72.0g carbs · 40.0g fat

Ingredients

• 600g lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• 6 merguez sausages
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Good pinch saffron threads
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 3 carrots, cut into thick batons
• 2 turnips, peeled and quartered
• 1 courgette, cut into chunks
• 1 small butternut squash (about 400g), peeled and cubed
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 500g medium couscous
• 50g butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Harissa paste, to serve
• Handful coriander and flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Season the lamb and chicken well. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole or the base of a couscoussier and brown the lamb in batches, then the chicken thighs skin-side down. Set aside.
2. Lower the heat, add the onions and cook 6-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée, ras el hanout, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and saffron and fry 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Return the lamb, pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 40 minutes.
4. Add the chicken, carrots and turnips and simmer 20 minutes. Then add the squash, courgette, chickpeas and raisins and cook a further 15 minutes, until everything is tender. Taste and season the broth generously.
5. Meanwhile, tip the couscous into a wide bowl with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Pour over 550ml of the hot broth (or boiling water), cover with a plate and leave 10 minutes.
6. Fork through the couscous with the butter, breaking up any lumps, and keep warm.
7. Grill or dry-fry the merguez for 8-10 minutes, turning, until browned and cooked through.
8. Pile the couscous onto a big platter, make a dip in the centre and heap in the meats and vegetables. Scatter with herbs, moisten with a few ladles of broth and serve the rest of the broth and a bowl of harissa alongside.