Moorish crunch salad
Couscous parcels, orange & harissa
Moorish crunch salad
Serves 4
Cooks In40 minutes
DifficultyNot too tricky
Nutrition per serving
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Ingredients
- 150 g wholewheat couscous
- 1 large preserved lemon , or two small preserved lemons
- 150 g small heritage carrots
- 1 red onion
- 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ a bunch of fresh mint , (15g)
- 4 sheets of filo pastry , (180g)
- 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
- 2 heaped tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
- 1 lime
- 1 heaped teaspoon harissa
- extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g shelled pistachios
- 3 oranges , or blood oranges
- 1 round lettuce
- 2 little gem lettuces
- 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
- 1 large or 2 small preserved lemons
- 5 oz small heirloom carrots
- 1 red onion
- 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ a bunch of fresh mint (½ oz)
- 4 sheets of phyllo pastry (8¼ oz)
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 lime
- 1 heaping teaspoon harissa
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ oz shelled unsalted pistachios
- 3 oranges or blood oranges
- 1 Bibb lettuce
- 2 little gem lettuces or hearts of romaine
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Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Place the couscous in a bowl. Finely chop and add the preserved lemon(s), removing any pips, then just cover with boiling kettle water, pop a plate on top and leave to fluff up.
- Wash the carrots and quarter lengthways. Peel, halve and finely slice the onion. Toss both in a shallow bowl with the vinegar and a good pinch of sea salt to draw out excess moisture (you’ll drain the liquor off, so don’t worry about the amount of salt).
- Pick and finely chop most of the mint leaves and stir through the couscous, fluffing it up with a fork, then season to perfection.
- Unroll the filo pastry and spoon one quarter of the couscous on to the middle of one sheet. Flatten into a square, then fold the filo up around it, creating a square parcel.
- Repeat with the remaining couscous and filo, then place the parcels on a tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp – this is a cute way to serve couscous and adds epic texture to the salad.
- In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, peanut butter, 2 teaspoons of preserved lemon liquor from the jar and the lime juice, loosening with a splash of water, if needed.
- Loosen the harissa with 1 tablespoon of oil in a little bowl. Crush the pistachios in a pestle and mortar. Peel the oranges and cut into thin rounds. Wash the lettuces, trim the bases, then cut the round lettuce into quarters and the little gems in half.
- Now the fun bit: to serve, divide the lettuce between your plates and drizzle over the peanutty yoghurt dressing.
- Drain and divide up the pickled carrots and onions, then tear each filo parcel in half and add to the plates with a few orange slices.
- Drizzle the parcels with harissa oil, scatter with pistachios, pick over the remaining mint leaves, then mix it all up and tuck in!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the couscous in a bowl. Finely chop and add the preserved lemon(s), removing any seeds, then just cover with boiling kettle water, pop a plate on top, and leave to fluff up.
- Wash the carrots and quarter lengthways. Peel, halve, and finely slice the onion. Toss both in a shallow bowl with the vinegar and a good pinch of sea salt to draw out excess moisture (you’ll drain the liquor off, so don’t worry about the amount of salt).
- Pick and finely chop most of the mint leaves and stir through the couscous, fluffing it up with a fork, then season to perfection.
- Unroll the phyllo pastry and spoon one-quarter of the couscous onto the middle of one sheet. Flatten into a square, then fold the phyllo up around it, creating a square parcel.
- Repeat with the remaining couscous and phyllo, then place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp—this is a cute way to serve couscous and adds epic texture to the salad.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt, peanut butter, 2 teaspoons of preserved lemon liquor from the jar, and the lime juice, loosening with a splash of water, if needed.
- Loosen the harissa with 1 tablespoon of oil in a little bowl. Crush the pistachios in a pestle and mortar. Peel the oranges and cut into thin rounds. Wash the lettuces, trim the bases, then cut the Bibb lettuce into quarters and the little gems in half.
- Now the fun bit: to serve, divide the lettuce between your plates and drizzle over the peanutty yogurt dressing.
- Drain and divide up the pickled carrots and onions, then tear each phyllo parcel in half and add to the plates with a few orange slices.
- Drizzle the parcels with harissa oil, scatter with pistachios, pick over the remaining mint leaves, then mix it all up and tuck in!
