Moroccan food has been heavily influenced by Berber, Moorish and Arab cuisine over the centuries and is alive with interesting flavours, textures and fragrances. This stew will take you on a taste trip to Morocco with a warmly spiced sauce and herby, nutty couscous, topped with crunchy almonds.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
1
Bell Pepper
150
Couscous
1
Chicken Stock Powder
1
Ras-el-Hanout
250
Pork Sausage
15
Flaked Almonds
(Contains Nuts May contain Sesame, Nuts, Peanut)
1
Tomato Passata
1
Chickpeas
40
Dried Apricots
1
Lemon
125
Baby Spinach
1
Mint
300
Water for the Couscous
200
Water for the Sauce
Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat. Slice open the sausage, remove the meat and discard the skin. Shape your sausage meat into balls about 2cm in diameter. Add them to your frying pan and cook until browned, 10-12 mins. Turn them regularly to make sure they don't burn.
Halve, then remove the core from the pepper and thinly slice. Chop each dried apricot into four pieces. Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a sieve. Pick the mint leaves from their stalks and roughly chop(discard the stalks).
Add the pepper to the meatballs. Cook until soft. 5-7 mins. Stir in the ras-el-hanout and dried apricots, cook for 1 minute and then pour in the tomato passata. Add the water (amount specified in ingredient list), chickpeas, half the stock powder and stir to dissolve. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce until thick and reduced by half, 12-15 mins.
Pour the water (see ingredients for amount) into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiling, stir in the remaining stock powder and the couscous, pop a lid on the pan and remove from the heat. Leave to the side for 8-10 mins or until ready to serve. The couscous will cook and absorb the stock while you get everything else done.
When your stew is ready, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. IMPORTANT: The meatballs are cooked when they are no longer pink in the middle. Stir in the baby spinach and cook until wilted, 3-4 mins.
Fluff up the couscous with a fork and mix through the mint and half the flaked almonds. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Spoon the couscous into bowls and top with your sausage stew. Finish with the remaining flaked almonds. Enjoy!