Couscous
In couscous, the meat and vegetable mixture is rather long to cook, but not difficult. And the couscous itself (a kind of coarse semolina) is simple and quick to prepare.
340,4974.0/5 for 65 ratings
Last modified on: November 16th 2017
For 10 people, you will need:
- 1
4 courgettes - 2
1 leek - 3
4 carrots - 4
4 turnips - 5
1 onion - 6
1 garlic clove - 7
4 tablespoons olive oil - 8
20 Meatballs (optional) - 9
800 g chicken breast - 10
4 tablespoons spices for couscous - 11
350 g tinned (canned) chickpeas - 12
2 litres water - 13
70 g tomato paste - 14
2 beefs stock cube - 15 5 glasses water
- 16 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 17
5 glasses couscous - 18
50 g butter - 19
salt - 20
pepper - 21
a little harissa (optional) - Total weight: 7,290 grams
Change for:
Measures:
How long does it take?
Time required
| Preparation | Resting | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 min. | 5 min. | 1 hour 43 min. | 2 hours 36 min. |
Keeping:
Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.At what time?
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Vegetables preparation
Prepare 4 courgettes.If you have small courgettes, just cut into thick slices.
Set aside.
Stage 3 - 10 min.
Peel and wash 4 carrots, cut into pieces, set aside.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Peel and wash 4 turnips, cut into pieces, set aside.
Stage 5 - 5 min.
Stage 6 - 10 min.
Stage 7 - 10 min.
Do the same thing with 800 g chicken breast.
Do this for all the meats, then set aside.
Do this for all the meats, then set aside.
Stage 8 - 3 min.
In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if necessary, add onion and garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Add meat, 4 tablespoons spices for couscous and mix again.
Stage 10
Add all the vegetables and 350 g tinned (canned) chickpeas, mix again.
Stage 11 - 2 min.
Add 2 litres water. With a spatula, scrape bottom of pan well to mix all the flavours (important).
Add 70 g tomato paste and 2 beefs stock cube, then salt and pepper.
Add 70 g tomato paste and 2 beefs stock cube, then salt and pepper.
Stage 12 - 15 min.
Bring to the boil.
Stage 13 - 1 hour
Then cover, and let cook on slow fire for at least 1 hour (2 or 3 hours is better).
Stage 14 - 5 min.
Stage 15 - 5 min.
When water is boiling, remove from heat and add 5 glasses couscous, mix well, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
Stage 16
After this time, add 50 g butter (or more), and mix with a fork. It's ready.
Stage 17
Stage 18
The traditional way to serve: a layer of couscous, then vegetables and meat, and a good deal of sauce over the top.
Remarks
To prepare a hotter sauce: take 2 or 3 ladles of stock from the pan, and in a bowl mix with a good tablespoon of harissa (according to your taste) and some chick-peas. Serve with couscous for spicy sauce aficionados.
As for the chicken, choose a good quality one (free-range, of traceable origin, or "red label" in France for instance).
Proportions are given as suggestions, do not hesitate to adapt to your taste.
You can add other vegetables if you like: bell pepper, aubergine/eggplants, and other meats: meatballs, lamb, spicy sausage, beef...
If you can't find a ready-made mix of couscous spices, you can make your own from: cumin, coriander (ground), cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and turmeric. Paprika, cloves and caraway are also sometimes used.
As for the chicken, choose a good quality one (free-range, of traceable origin, or "red label" in France for instance).
Proportions are given as suggestions, do not hesitate to adapt to your taste.
You can add other vegetables if you like: bell pepper, aubergine/eggplants, and other meats: meatballs, lamb, spicy sausage, beef...
If you can't find a ready-made mix of couscous spices, you can make your own from: cumin, coriander (ground), cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and turmeric. Paprika, cloves and caraway are also sometimes used.
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
- For 10 people : 27.33 €
- Per person : 2.73 €
And to drink?: A wine from Algeria of course, or Languedoc, something full-bodied. Otherwise a well chilled rosé from Provence.
Source
Home madeMore recipes?
This recipe uses (among others) | Water: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chocolate eclairs, Fougasse with bacon and Comté, Rum babas, Chorba, Sausage and lentils "en cocotte", ... All |
| Chicken breast: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Baker's chicken and potato tart, Chicken breasts with tarragon, Paella, Chicken nems, Chicken club sandwich, ... All |
| Tinned (canned) chickpeas: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Chorba, Chickpea salad, Houmous, ... All |
| Tomato paste: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Chorba, Taos hotpot, Pissaladière with puff pastry, Loaf for "les filles'", Tomato and courgette tart, ... All |
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