Cous cous royale

Serves 15

Couscous is traditionally eaten on Fridays, and the whole family makes great efforts to be together to eat.

Ingredients:

1 kilo couscous
2 red onions
1 kilo mixed vegetables: tomato, carrot, aubergine, turnip, courgette, cabbage, pumpkin
200 grams chickpeas
1⁄2 kilo lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1⁄2 kilo beef sausages
1⁄2 kilo chicken drumsticks
1 tablespoon of smen (or ghee, or any other clarified butter)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One small bunch of fresh parsley and coriander
4 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons turmeric
4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground saffron Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tfaya

2 large red onions
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground ras al hanout
1⁄8 teaspoon ground saffron 1⁄8 teaspoon ground turmeric A splash of olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
A handful of golden raisins

Method:

Halve one of the red onions and then thinly slice before tossing into a couscoussier. Set aside a few sprigs of parsley and coriander before using a string to tie a knot around the rest of the small bunch and throw that in, too. Skin the tomatoes and dice them, then add to the couscoussier along with 2 glugs of olive oil and a generous teaspoon of each spice. Stir and let cook for 10 minutes over low heat to avoid burning the red onions.

Add 2 1⁄2 litres of water to the couscoussier and turn the heat all the way up. Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables: peel and halve the carrots and turnips, trim and halve the aubergines, and quarter the cabbage. Add everything to the couscoussier with the chickpeas. Top with the top half of the couscoussier and cook for an hour.

Meanwhile, add the couscous to a large flat round bowl and splash with about 225

1 tablespoon tomato paste

One small bunch of fresh parsley and coriander

4 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons turmeric

4 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground saffron Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

millilitres of cold water. Pour the water onto your hand over the couscous so that it splashes all around, then mix to combine. Add the couscous to the top part of the couscoussier (or double boiler with holes on the bottom) and cook until it starts steaming. After the vegetables beneath have cooked for an hour, remove the top part of the couscoussier and add in the pumpkin, courgette, and tomato paste. Once the couscous starts steaming, place back into the flat round bowl and splash with another 225 millilitres of cold water. Let it cool for a minute before splashing with 3 glugs of olive oil. Rub the couscous together with your hands until well-combined and then return to the top of the couscoussier.

Check on the vegetables and add another 1 1⁄2 litres or so of water if necessary. Once the couscous starts steaming again, remove it and add in 225 millilitres of water and1 teaspoon of salt. Mix together with your hands and then return to the top of the couscoussier. Once it starts steaming again, mix in the smen and another 300 millilitres of water. Return to the top of the couscoussier and cook until it starts steaming once again.

About halfway through this process, grab three bowls and place each meat in a bowl. Mince the second red onion and add a third to each bowl along with 1 teaspoon each of paprika, ground ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, and a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley and coriander (remember the sprigs you set aside earlier?). Mince 3 cloves of garlic and throw 1 into each bowl as well. Let marinate for half an hour and then cook in three separate pots with a bit of olive oil. Add in a few splashes of water while cooking to ensure the meat is moist. Note that the chicken will cook more quickly than the other meats.

Pile the cooked lamb meat in the middle of a large flat round bowl and then top with the finished couscous. Top with tfaya and then arrange the chicken and sausages around the sides. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and arrange them around the couscous as well. Spoon the delicious sauce from the vegetables into a bowl and serve alongside the couscous. Tfaya Very thinly slice the red onions and throw them into a pot with the spices and oil. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, so the red onions and spices combine and cook evenly. When the red onions begin to sweat, add in a splash of water to avoid them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the red onions have cooked through, add in the sugar and golden raisins. Be sure to continuously stir the tfaya at this point to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the red onions have caramelised, remove from the heat and set aside until you are ready to use the tfaya to top the couscous.

Notes:

• If you are using dry chickpeas, be sure to soak them overnight beforehand.
• Couscous is eaten on Fridays, and the whole family makes great efforts to be together to eat
• the large, time-consuming dish.

View PDF recipe card