Grandma´s Recipes
Traditional Chicken & Vegetables with Couscous
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2kg chicken thigh, cut into pieces
- 1 fresh fennel bulb, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1kg green beans
- 500g carrots, sliced
- 500g green peas
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp whole aniseed
- 1 tsp Ras el Hanout (spice)
- 1/2 cup dry parsley
- 1/2 cup couscous
- 750ml hot water
- 250ml chicken stock
- 500g chickpeas, soaked in water overnight and cooked until tender (or 500g canned chickpeas)
- Bunch fresh parsley, chopped
METHOD
Fry onion and garlic in olive oil until soft (not browned). Add chicken and lightly cook.
Add fennel and celery and cook for further 20 minutes before adding in 1 litre of chicken stock, beans, carrots and peas.
Mix in spices and cook for another 30 minutes.
Couscous / Magrabia:
METHOD 1
Mix the couscous / magrabia & the olive oil in a bowl. In a pot heat the water with the salt until boiling. Add the couscous / magrabia and then reduce to a low heat, all the water should be absorbed. Mix lightly time to time and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. Mix again and serve.
METHOD 2
Fry the couscous / Magrabia in a pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until slightly browned. Add 4 cups hot water to the pot. Reduce the heat, add salt and cook for about 15 minutes until the couscous / magrabia is soft ( but not too soft!) strain the water off the couscous/ magrabia add 1 tablespoon olive oil, seasoning and serve.
SERVING SUGGESTING:
Put the warm couscous / magrabia on a plate and make a hollow in the centre.
Put the chicken dish in the middle of the couscous, spoon extra liquid over the top. Top with warm chickpeas. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
* Recommend serving with Grandma’s coriander dip.