Advance preparation

Advance maceration of the raisins.

• The day before, soak the raisins in cold water with a cinnamon stick for 24 hours.
• Set aside the macerated raisins.

Confit onion

• Slice the white onion into julienne strips and confit it over low heat in a saucepan with oil, a little honey and a cinnamon stick.
• When the onion is confited, add the macerated raisins from the day before, once drained.
• Mix and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Set aside the confit onion with the raisins.

Roasted peppers

• Separately, roast the peppers in the oven.
• Clean the roasted peppers.
• Set aside the peppers.

Cooking the lamb leg

• Blanch the tomatoes, peel them, remove the seeds and chop them.
• Slice the white onion into julienne strips.
• Cut the leg into rather large pieces, season them with salt and coat them with oil, honey and a little of the spice blend; leave them to marinate chilled for 1:30 hours.
• Put oil in a casserole and, when it is very hot, sear the pieces of meat.
• Lower the heat and add the onion and chopped tomato.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add part of the roasted peppers, finely sliced.
• Add 2 tablespoons of spices and about 750 ml of chicken stock.
• Cook covered over low heat for 40 minutes.
• While the meat cooks, cut the vegetables into large dice.
• When the meat has been cooking over low heat for 45 minutes, add the vegetables and cook, covered, for 20 more minutes.
• If the vegetables have very different cooking times, stagger their cooking and add them in stages.

Plating

• Put couscous on the plate.
• Place the shredded, boneless meat in the centre of the couscous.
• Arrange the smaller vegetables around the couscous, removing them with a draining spatula.
• Place the larger-cut vegetables on top of the couscous.
• Add the previously cooked and heated chickpeas.
• You may caramelize half the chickpeas in a saucepan with water and plenty of sugar until they take on a toasted colour; then combine them with the other half.
• You may also add these previously cooked chickpeas directly to the dish or to the stock before finishing cooking.
• Finally, add the roasted peppers, the confit onion and the reserved raisins, previously warmed slightly.
• Finally, drizzle with a ladleful of stock.
• To improve the presentation, you may use a large toroidal mould so that the couscous does not spread out; without removing the ring, place the small vegetables around it and, once arranged, remove it.

Boiled couscous cooking

Boiled option.

• Bring the water to a boil.
• When the water comes to a boil, add a little salt.
• When the water is boiling, add the couscous and stir it gently with a spatula, as little as possible; it should not be stirred much.
• Turn off the heat and let the couscous rest for 5 to 7 minutes, according to the manufacturer's label instructions.
• Transfer the couscous to a glass bowl.
• Add a few cubes of butter, without adding too much.
• Stir it gently with 2 forks, interlacing the tines, until the grains are separate.
• If you want to prepare it cold for a salad, once cold separate the grains again with two forks.

Steamed couscous cooking

Steamed option.

• Bring water to a boil in the steamer pot.
• Place the dry couscous in a glass bowl, add a drizzle of oil and stir it with spread fingers.
• Then add the cold water to hydrate it and mix with spread fingers.
• Leave it to hydrate for 3 minutes, until it absorbs the water.
• Place double aluminium foil around the edges of the pot so that it seals better and no steam escapes.
• Transfer the couscous to the perforated steamer insert; if the holes are too large, line it with a clean kitchen cloth so that the couscous does not escape.
• Cover the pot and steam the couscous for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the couscous back to the glass bowl.
• Add a few cubes of butter at room temperature, 10 g of butter for every 100 g of couscous, and stir with two forks until the grains are separate.
• Return the couscous to the perforated steamer insert and steam it for 10 more minutes.
• Return it to the glass bowl and stir gently with 2 forks until the grains are separate.