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.
536 K 3.7/5 (113 reviews)
2 hours 40 min.
Easy
24.95 €
10 people
21 IngredientsLast 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: 6,890 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Resting: 5 min.
Cooking: 1 hour 45 min.
All in all: 2 hours 40 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end 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.
And to drink?
A wine from Algeria of course, or Languedoc, something full-bodied. Otherwise a well chilled rosé from Provence.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 270 RDI=110 % | 320 RDI=30 % | 360 RDI=50 % | 5,580 RDI=280 % | 23,380 RDI: 280 % |
| Per 100 g | 3 RDI=2 % | 4 RDI=0 % | 5 RDI=1 % | 80 RDI=4 % | 340 RDI: 4 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 40 RDI=5 % | 560 RDI=30 % | 2,340 RDI: 30 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 10 people : 24.95 €
- Per person : 2.50 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
Like these other recipes: Super-green, super-thrifty soup, Quince and apple compote, Langoustine sabayon tart, Leek and potato soup, Peanut rolls, ... See them all 137
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Sautéed turmeric chicken with mushrooms, Chicken breasts in a potato crust, Baker's chicken and potato tart, Thai-style Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Sliced chicken with mushrooms and broccoli, ... See them all 30
Tinned (canned) chickpeas
Like these other recipes: Chickpea salad, Cauliflower and chickpea purée, Spinach and chick peas "à la milanaise", Lambé salad, Lebanese-style chickpea salad, ... See them all 10
Tomato paste
Like these other recipes: Green beans "Napoléon", Cretan-style salmon , Taos hotpot, Tomato and courgette tart, Loaf for "les filles'", ... See them all 13
Other recipes you may also like
Warm apple feuillantines
It's a rather long recipe but which never fails to impress, perfect for a special dinner party. It's made up of 3 circles: one almond "tuile", 2 of caramelized brik sheets, with a caramelized apple layer between each, whipped cream on top, and custard all around. Everything, except whipped cream, can be made beforehand. May 28th 2012339 K5 3 hours 9 min.
Peach and mint salad
Here is a very simple, fresh and delicious recipe; the flavour of mint goes very well with peaches. September 7th 2012325 K 24 20 min.
Blanquette of veal
Blanquette is a classic dish of French family cooking, but can also be found in bistros. Veal is cooked slowly, and the sauce is thickened with a mixture of egg yolks and cream. I have set out a rather special way of making it. February 5th 2015434 K4.4 2 hours 50 min.
Avocado and smoked salmon terrine
In this colourful terrine, layers of avocado alternate with smoked salmon and diced tomato in balsamic vinegar. April 10th 2011193 K5 4 hours 7 min.
Piped petits-fours
As the name suggests, these are piped into shape using a forcing bag. These dainty little macaroon-like cakes are made with marzipan and have a soft, moist texture. December 30th 2019139 K1 1 day 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-30)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 9 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.