Jewelled couscous (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients
- 600 ml (1 pint) fresh chicken or vegetable stock (from a carton is fine)
- 500 g (1 lb, 2 oz) couscous
- grated rind of 1 lemon
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g (2 oz) toasted flaked almonds
- 100 g (4 oz) ready-to-eat apricots, chopped
- 50 g (2 oz) sultanas, about 4 tbsp
- 2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Heat the stock in a pan until boiling. Pour the couscous in a thin, steady stream and then stir in the lemon rind. Cover with plastic film and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the grains to swell. Remove the plastic film and fluff up the grains with a fork so that they separate.
- Return the couscous to the heat and drizzle over the olive oil. Cook gently for a few minutes, stirring with the fork to fluff up the grains, then remove from the heat - you could also do this in a large steamer, lined with a piece of muslin or a couple of new J-cloths. Fold in the almonds, apricots, sultanas, parsley and coriander and season to taste.
- Tip the couscous into an ovenproof dish, cover with plastic film and chill until ready to serve. You can keep this warm in the bottom of a moderate oven, covered with foil for up to half an hour until ready to serve. Alternatively, pierce the plastic film all over with a fork and heat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve at once.