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Foodie Thursday

Simon Mayo is joined by our resident chef Nigel Barden for another Foodie Thursday! Plus there's a brand new listener confession for the collective's conscience!

Matt has the sports news, Rebecca is on they money and Sally updates the travel.

1 hour, 55 minutes

Last on

Thu 17 Oct 2013 17:05

Music Played

  • Donna Summer

    Hot Stuff

    • The All Time Greatest Movie Songs.
    • Columbia/Sony Tv.
  • Gavin DeGraw

    Best I Ever Had

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
  • The Kinks

    Apeman

    • The Kinks - The Definitive Collection.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Paul McCartney

    Back In The USSR (Live At Maida Vale)

  • John Kongos

    He's Gonna Step On You Again

    • Sampled 4 (Various Artists).
    • Virgin.
  • Eliza Doolittle

    Let It Rain

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
    • 1.
  • The Four Seasons

    Walk Like A Man

    • Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Ve.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 6.
  • Kraftwerk

    The Model

    • Into The Eighties (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • U2

    I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

    • Rock The Planet (Various Artists).
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Zac Brown Band

    Island Song

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
    • 1.
  • The Doobie Brothers

    What A Fool Believes

    • The All Time Greatest Movie Songs.
    • Columbia/Sony Tv.
  • Katie Melua

    The Love I'm Frightened Of

    • (CD Single).
    • Dramatico.
    • 001.
  • Brad Paisley

    The Nervous Breakdown

The Ultimate Winter Couscous

Serves 4, or even more

Prep time: 20-30 mins

Cooking time: 1hr

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, peeled & cut into 2cm chunks

2 medium parsnips, peeled & cut in 2cm chunks

8 shallots, peeled

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

3 bay leaves

5 tbsp olive oil

1/2听tsp ground ginger

1/4听tsp ground turmeric

1/4听tsp hot paprika

1/4听tsp chilli flakes

300g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled & cut into 2cm chunks

75g dried apricots, roughly chopped

200g chickpeas (canned or freshly cooked)

350ml chickpea cooking liquid &/or water

170g couscous

large pinch of saffron threads

260ml boiling vegetable stock

20g butter, broken into pieces

25g harissa paste

25g preserved lemon skin, finely chopped

30g coriander leaves

salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5.听听 Place the carrots, parsnips & shallots in a large ovenproof dish. 听 Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, bay leaves, 4 tbsps of the oil, 3/4 tsp salt & all the other spices & mix well. 听Place in the oven & cook for 15 mins. Add the pumpkin, stir & return to the oven. 听Continue cooking for about 35 mins, by which time the vegetables should have softened while retaining a bite. Now add the dried apricots & the chickpeas with their cooking liquid &/or water. Return to the oven & cook for a further 10 mins, or until hot. About 15 mins before the vegetables are ready, put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, the saffron & 1/2 tsp salt. Pour the boiling stock over the couscous. Cover the bowl with cling film & leave for about 10 mins. Then add the butter & fluff up the couscous with a fork until the butter melts in. Cover again & leave somewhere warm. To serve, spoon couscous into a deep plate or bowl. Stir the harissa & preserved lemon into the vegetables; taste & salt if needed. Spoon the vegetables onto the centre of the couscous. Finish with plenty of coriander leaves.

Nigel's Top Tip

  • Feel free to substitute the veg, as butternut squash will happily stunt double for pumpkin & swede & turnips would do instead of carrots & parsnips.

  • Sprinkle some crushed root veg crisps on top, to give it a bit of crunch.

  • If you don't have preserved lemon skin, use preserved lemons.

  • Harissa is a hot fiery Tunisian sauce made with chillies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway & olive oil. It is the traditional accompaniment to couscous but can also be used to flavour soups & stews.

Broadcast

  • Thu 17 Oct 2013 17:05