Warm cous cous, cauliflower and almond salad

Photograph: Harry Weir
Photograph: Harry Weir
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 200g cous cous
  • 320mls almost boiling water
  • 120mls olive oil
  • 1 red onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
  • Half a cauliflower, trimmed and chopped the same size as the pepper
  • 2 tbsp of ras-al-hanout or garam masala
  • A pinch of dried chilli
  • 8 dried apricots, diced same size as the pepper and cauliflower
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
  • A bunch of roughly chopped coriander (including stalks)
  • Salt and pepper

1 Pour the water over the cous cous then cover with clingfilm and let it sit for 10 minutes.

2 Fork the cous cous through so there are no lumps remaining.

3 Put the olive oil into a wide shallow pan or wok, then add the onion, garlic and pepper.

4 Cook for 15 minutes over a very gentle heat then add the cauliflower, ras-al-hanout and apricots.

5 Continue to cook for a further 15 minutes until everything starts to get sticky and begins to caramelise.

6 Add the zest and juice of the orange, followed by the cous cous, almonds and coriander. Season well and fold together gently.

7 Serve straight away with some hummus or minted yoghurt.

8 You can make this in advance and warm it through in a microwave or it is delicious at room temperature too.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford