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Harissa spatchcock with couscous and preserved lemon

Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 20 mins (plus standing)
4   spatchcock (about 500 gm each)
1 tbsp   harissa (see note)
400 gm   (2 cups) cous cous
40 ml   olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½   Spanish onion, finely chopped
1   garlic clove, finely chopped
500 ml   (2 cups) chicken stock
30 gm   butter, coarsely chopped
1½ cups each   (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley and mint
Seeds   of 1 pomegranate
To serve:   thick natural yoghurt
Preserved lemon dressing
½   preserved lemon
100 ml   extra-virgin olive oil
Juice   of 1½ lemons, or to taste


1 Preheat oven to 200C. Remove neck and cut spatchcock with kitchen scissors along both sides of the backbone. Remove backbone and discard, then press bird flat and transfer, skin-side up onto a baking paper-lined oven tray. Repeat with remaining spatchcock.
2 Brush spatchcock with harissa, season to taste, drizzle each with a little olive oil and roast until golden and cooked through (15-18 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, place cous cous in a heatproof bowl. Heat 40 ml olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender (3-4 minutes). Add chicken stock, bring to the boil and pour over cous cous. Add butter, cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and stand for 10 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, season generously to taste and fluff cous cous with a fork.
4 Meanwhile, for preserved lemon dressing, rinse preserved lemon, remove flesh and discard. Thinly slice preserved lemon rind and combine in a bowl with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste and add to cous cous, tossing to combine.
5 Toss herbs and pomegranate seeds through cous cous and serve immediately with harissa spatchcock and natural yoghurt.

Note Harissa is a hot chilli sauce made from chilli, garlic, cumin and good quality olive oil.

RECIPE Emma Knowles

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