Seven Vegetable Couscous
You can switch up the vegetables, but be sure to put in seven of whichever you chose- it will impart more flavour to the couscous and, according to Moroccans, bring luck to all those you share it with. You can easily replace the chicken with a veal shank or neck with the bone, or even lamb shoulder.
Ingrédients
- 2 lb chicken, cut in pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 Tbsp Couscous spices, ground
- Salt, to taste
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 2 medium onions, halved
- 2 small eggplants, halved
- 5 medium carrots, peeled
- 5 small turnips, halved
- ½ squash, skinned
- 4 medium tomatoes
- ½ cauliflower, in florets
- 2 cups fresh gourganes (or cooked chickpeas)
- ½ lb merguez (optional)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ tsp Ras-el-hanout, ground (optional)
Method
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1
Put the chicken and chopped onion in a large pot with the ground spices, salt, and butter. Add 8 cups of water.
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2
Bring to a boil and cover.
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3
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
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4
Add the remaining onions, eggplants, carrots, and turnips. Cook for 20 minutes more.
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5
Add the squash, tomatoes, cauliflower, gourganes or chickpeas, and the merguez. Chop the cilantro and add to the pot.
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6
Mix the Ras-el-hanout with a half cup cooking liquid. Pour into the pot and let cook for 5 minutes more.
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7
Serve on a bed of couscous.
