Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken breasts, skinned
• 12 oz. couscous
• For vegetable soup:
• 1 ½ pints Chicken soup
• 6 oz. chick peas, soaked for 12 hours
• 2 small white turnips, peeled
• 3 carrots, scraped
• 3 courgettes
• 1 green or red pepper, cored and seeded
• 2 leeks, trimmed
• 1 tsp. Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. Coriander seeds
• 1 tin of harissa – hot chilli paste
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped Parsley
• Salt and pepper
• For garnish:
• 2 tbsp. Raisins
• 1 tbsp. flaked Almonds

Method:

1. Put the stock in a large pan. Slice the vegetables and add, with a quarter of a tsp. of cumin and coriander and a little harissa, to the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30-40 mins. until tender.
2. The vegetables in couscous are generally served well cooked.
3. Crush the rest of the cumin and coriander seeds and mix with the fresh coriander, salt and pepper.
4. Coat the chicken with this mixture and place in a steamer basket set over the vegetables. Cover and steam gently.
5. Spread the couscous on a plate. Moisten with warm water and mix with our fingers to break up any lumps.
6. Put the couscous in a steamer basket over the chicken and let it steam for a further 10 mins, by which time the chicken should be cooked.
7. Place a pot of the vegetable soup on the table with a small bowl of harissa.
8. Spread the couscous on a large platter, garnish with raisins and almonds and arrange the chicken on top.