Light Couscous Royale

📝 Ingredients

• 3 chicken legs (about 280 g each)
• 300 g 5% fat minced beef + 15 g fresh parsley (for the meatballs)
• 6 merguez sausages (about 330 g)
• 360 g medium-grain couscous
• 4 carrots (about 100 g each) + 3 turnips (about 120 g each)
• 3 courgettes (about 200 g each)
• 1 tin chickpeas (265 g drained)
• 2 brown onions (about 150 g each)
• 2 tbsp tomato purée + 4 tsp ras el hanout (3 for the broth, 1 for the meatballs)
• 1 chicken stock cube + 2 L water
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the broth, 1 for the couscous)
• 6 tsp harissa (served separately)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large casserole dish with lid
• Frying pan
• Mixing bowl
• Ladle
• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board

📖 Steps

1. Remove the skin from the chicken legs by pulling firmly with kitchen paper, then cut each leg in two at the joint (thigh and drumstick). Slice the onions, peel the carrots and turnips and cut them into large chunks.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for 5 min on all sides, then add the onions and cook for 5 min, stirring, until translucent.
3. Add the tomato purée and 3 tsp ras el hanout, stir for 1 min, then pour in 2 L water and crumble in the stock cube. Add the carrots and turnips, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for 25 min over a medium-low heat, with the lid ajar.
4. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley and mix it into the minced beef with 1 tsp ras el hanout, 1 pinch of salt and some pepper. Knead for 1 min so the meat holds together, then shape into 18 walnut-sized meatballs with wet hands.
5. Cut the courgettes into 4 cm chunks, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Add them to the broth, then gently drop in the meatballs and simmer for another 15 min, without boiling hard, so they stay whole.
6. While that cooks, prick the merguez with a fork and cook them for 10 to 12 min in a frying pan over a medium heat, without any fat, turning them often until nicely browned. Drain them on kitchen paper.
7. Tip the couscous into a mixing bowl, pour over 360 ml boiling-hot broth taken from the pot and 1 tbsp oil, stir, cover with a plate and leave to swell for 5 min. Then fluff it up with a fork to separate the grains.
8. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve the couscous in shallow bowls, add the vegetables, chicken, meatballs and one merguez per person, pour over a ladle of broth and serve the harissa on the side.