FOOD: Goodbye heavy winter meals, hello couscous

The light is lengthening, the spuds may be planted this week, and spring is most definitely in the air!
In our house we are getting ready to say goodbye to winter pots of goodness, but not before saying goodbye with this North African-inspired dish of pot-cooked chicken with gorgeous couscous grains.
The dish is cooked similar to our own Irish lamb stew, but it employs different flavours from across the world. ‘Same, same, but different’ as they say in India! Using Harissa paste and mixing chicken with couscous is a new departure for many Mayo kitchens, why not give it a try? Like all good family dishes, it is easy to assemble and relatively easy to cook.

CABOT’S chicken and couscous one-pot
Whereas this might be slow-cooked in a clay pot throughout North Africa, a good casserole dish can do the job here.

What you need
2 chicken breast in bite-sized chunks
140g couscous
1 medium/small butternut squash in small cubes
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 canned tomatoes
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp harissa paste tbsp
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

What you do
Heat the harissa, cumin and coriander spices with the red onion in your casserole dish over a low heat for about ten minutes. Occasionally stir, and adjust heat not to burn. Into this flavoursome mix tip in the chicken cubes. Allow the chicken to brown up for flavour (about 5-8 mins), and then add the butternut squash cubes. Add a splash of water and stir-cook this for another 5 mins.
Open the tinned tomatoes (I prefer whole plum tomatoes to the mixed versions) and pour into the casserole dish, adding an extra half can of water at this stage. Cover and simmer this mixture for around 25 minutes, taking care not to let it burn or catch on the bottom.
Now you add the couscous and halved cherry tomatoes. Bring back to a simmer, taste to season, and now remove, covered, from the heat and allow sit for ten minutes while the couscous cooks amidst all the flavours.
Tip: if you want an extra touch of the nearly exotic, add in the juice and zest of one lemon here to enjoy that lovely multi-layered chicken-lemon taste axis. Just before serving, stir through the chopped coriander, so it is not wilting, and serve out. Nyum nyum.

– Redmond


• The Cabots are now running a full programme of exciting cookery classes at their new Cookery School in Deerpark, Aughagower. Please email reddycabot@gmail.com for any details.

Sandra and Redmond Cabot live in Lanmore, outside Westport, with their children, Penny and Louis. Fresh, seasonal foods are their passion – shopping at country markets, growing their own veg and producing their own dips and sauces for sale.