Couscous with chicken, raisins, almonds and pine nuts

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 tbsp oil (olive)
• 1 ½ kg chicken, in pieces
• 4 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, pitted and roughly diced
• 3 red bell peppers
• 10 stalks of coriander tied together with kitchen string
• 20 stalks of flat-leaf parsley, tied with kitchen string
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¾ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 10 saffron threads roasted without fat in a non-stick pan and crushed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 ½ liters of water
• 150 g raisins, sultanas
• 50 g pine nuts roasted without fat in a coated pan
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp butter
• 600 g couscous
• 150 g almonds, roasted

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

K’seksoo Mitidja, from Northeast Morocco

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and brown the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, turning occasionally. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, parsley, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, turmeric, and 2 liters of water. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, until the meat is tender. Preheat the oven to 100°C. Transfer the meat and bell peppers to an ovenproof dish with a slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm. Remove the cilantro and parsley from the remaining tomato broth in the soup pot. Add the raisins and half of the pine nuts to the broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the remaining water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly stir in the couscous and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of broth and fluff the couscous with a fork. To serve, pile the couscous in the center of a large platter. Garnish with the toasted almonds and the remaining pine nuts. Arrange the meat and paprika around it. Serve the broth and harissa separately.