Spicy merguez & couscous pot

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Pack up this spicy sausage stew as part of a hearty lunch – simply heat in the microwave for a filling midday meal

Prep:15 mins
Cook:30 mins

Serves 2
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 552
fat 26g
saturates 10g
carbs 49g
sugars 16g
fibre 7g
protein 27g
salt 3.9g

Ingredients

drizzle of olive oil
4 merguez sausages (about 250g/9oz)
½ preserved lemon, peel only, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 fat red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp ras el hanout
400g can chopped tomatoes with olives
1 chicken stock cube
handful of coriander, finely chopped
100g couscous

Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins and shape into 8 meatballs. Add them to the pan and sizzle on a medium-high heat for 5-10 mins, rolling around the pan, until they are cooked. Set aside.
Drain the fat from the pan, leaving 1 tbsp behind. Reduce the heat and add the lemon, onion, chilli and pepper. Stir for 5 mins. Add the ras el hanout and stir for 1 min more.
Add the tomatoes and 300ml water, and crumble in the stock cube. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer, covered with a lid, for 10-15 mins, until the sauce is rich and the veg are tender. Season and stir in the coriander. Transfer to 2 microwavable containers with tight-fitting lids, and chill until you’re ready to eat. Weigh 50g couscous into 2 sandwich bags to take to work too.
When you’re ready to eat, add the couscous to the cold sauce. Stir well and microwave for 3 mins, until the couscous is cooked through.