This recipe accompanies this piece of food humour

(For 4 portions served with a main dish)

Ingredients

1 cup couscous

1 cup hot water (not boiled)

1 small red onion, diced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup golden sultanas and ⅓ cup seeded raisins soaked in 4 Tbsp of Marsala for a couple of hours

Handful of almonds, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp green peppercorns, drained

2 Tbsp pitted dates, diced

½ each of a small red pepper, yellow pepper and green pepper, diced

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground fennel seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for braising the onion

Method

Simmer chopped onion and diced peppers in a large frying pan until just softened, but do not discolour the peppers.

Stir the hot water into the couscous in a bowl, then flick it with a fork to loosen the grains.

Add all remaining ingredients to the onion and peppers in the pan, toss with two wooden spoons to mix everything up, including the spices. Toss in the couscous. Serve it with roast chicken or any spicy Moroccan tagine dish. DM/TGIFood