Name: Couscous
Yield: Serves 8–10
Ingredients: extra coriander and chopped parsley; a heart of 1 cabbage, sliced; 1 red, hot chilli, de-seeded; 175 g (6 oz) chick-peas, soaked for 36 hours; 4–8 slices of scrag end of mutton or lamb; 500 g (1–1¼ lb) couscous; 4–6 medium-size carrots, peeled; 375–750 g (¾–1¾ lb) shin of beef; harissa, or chilli powder and paprika; 4 sections of marrow bone shank, 13–18 cm (5–7 inches) long; salt and pepper; 4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped; 8 cm (3-inch) stick of cinnamon; butter; a generous pinch of saffron; 1 large onion, sliced, plus the skin; oil; 2 × 15 ml spoon (2 tablespoons) coriander; ½-1 chicken (boiling or roasting fowl); 8 tiny courgettes; 60–100 g (2–4 oz) raisins; 250 g (9 oz) shelled broad beans (optional); 250 g (9 oz) pumpkin, cubed (optional); 3–4 small white turnips, peeled (optional)

Preparation info

Serves
8–10

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Cooking of the Mediterranean

By Jane Grigson

Published 1991

About

Couscous is a magnificently hospitable dish for a number of people. Meat and vegetables can be varied with the season. If one or two extra people turn up, just add extra couscous. The explanation may sound laborious, but once you understand the stages, Couscous is very little trouble – especially if you make it at the weekend when there is help around. Then the preparation is nearly as much fun for everyone as the eating.

The traditional couscoussier is a huge double pot. In