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Winter Couscous

Filed Under: Vegetarian Meals

Winter Couscous
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Ingredients
  1. 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  2. 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  3. 1/2 lb shallots, peeled
  4. 2 cinnamon sticks
  5. 4 star anise
  6. 3 bay leaves
  7. 5 tbsp olive oil
  8. ½ tsp ground ginger
  9. ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  10. ¼ tsp hot paprika
  11. ¼ tsp chilli flakes
  12. 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  13. 1/3 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
  14. 8 oz chickpeas (canned or freshly cooked)
  15. 10 oz chickpea cooking liquid and/or water
  16. 6 oz couscous or maftoul
  17. large pinch of saffron threads
  18. 9 oz boiling vegetable stock
  19. 2 T butter, broken into pieces
  20. 1-2 TB harissa paste
  21. 1-2 TB preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
  22. Small handful of cilantro leaves
  23. salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the carrots, parsnips and shallots in a large ovenproof dish. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, bay leaves, 4 tablespoons of the oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and all the other spices and mix well. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the butternut, stir and return to the oven. Continue cooking for about 35 minutes, by which time the vegetables should have softened while retaining a bite. Now add the dried apricots and the chickpeas with their cooking liquid and/or water. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until hot.
  3. About 15 minutes before the vegetables are ready, put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the saffron and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour the boiling stock over the couscous. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for about 10 minutes. Then add the butter and fluff up the couscous with a fork until the butter melts in. Cover again and leave somewhere warm.
  4. To serve, spoon couscous into a deep plate or bowl. Stir the harissa and preserved lemon into the vegetables; taste and add salt if needed. Spoon the vegetables onto the centre of the couscous. Finish with plenty of cilantro leaves.
Notes
  1. Not Included in Large Kitchen Box: Salt, Butter (only 3-5 boxes), Saffron Threads, Chilli Flakes, Paprika, Turmeric, Ground Ginger, Olive Oil, Bay leaves, Star Anise, Cinnamon Sticks.
Adapted from Ottolenghi's "The Ultimate Winter Couscous" from Plenty
Adapted from Ottolenghi's "The Ultimate Winter Couscous" from Plenty
/Narrative Food https://blog.narrativefood.com/

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