Couscous Tfaya Recipe (Fes Couscous)
by Nargisse Benkabbou
6
1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch of saffron threads
  • 6 chicken legs, large
  • 400ml of chicken stock
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, 400g, rinsed and drained
  • 50g of flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish (optional)
  • 360g of couscous, cooked according to packet instructions then seasoned with a little salt and olive oil

Tfaya sauce

  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 4 large onions, sliced
  • 300g of raisins
  • 3 tbsp of clear honey
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
  • 100ml of chicken stock
Method
1
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper and saffron and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally
2
Add the chicken legs to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and leave to simmer gently for 45 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, re-cover the pan and continue simmering for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
3
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the tfaya sauce. Heat the olive oil in a separate large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, cover the pan and leave to cook for about 20 minutes until they are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes until softened, then drain and set aside
4
When the onions are soft, add the softened raisins, honey, cinnamon and salt and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the onions are lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have a thick golden brown sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary
5
By the time your tfaya sauce is ready, the chicken should be fully cooked and ready to be served. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. To serve, place the warm cooked couscous on a large serving plate, top with the chicken, broth and chickpeas and finally add the tfaya sauce. Garnish with the toasted flaked almonds if desired