Maftoul is a giant couscous from Palestine. Its large grains soak up sauces and braises to become plump, succulent beads imbued with flavour – in this case, a delicately spiced tomato sauce for cod. It is simple to make and will not need to spend hours simmering on the stove; I love this sort of thing at Christmas – easy yet spoiling as you get ready for the feasting proper. The miniature orange and burnt sugar flans can be made well in advance and are blissful.
Braised cod with giant couscous, sweet onions, chorizo and rosemary crumbs (pictured top)
The crisp crumbs add little sparks of flavour to the stew and are even better with flecks of chilli scattered through them.
Prep 30 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
8 small shallots, or 2 medium onions
1 fennel bulb
6 tbsp olive oil
150g chorizo, cut into large dice
2 tsp fennel seeds, plus 1 tsp for the crumbs
1 tbsp coriander seeds
6 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
200ml white wine
1 tsp saffron strands, or 1 tsp turmeric
300g giant couscous
600g cod
For the crumbs
60g butter
180g stale bread, preferably sourdough, blitzed to crumbs
3 tbsp rosemary leaves, picked and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Chilli flakes (optional)
3 tbsp chopped parsley
Peel and halve the shallots (if using onions, cut them into six or eight wedges each), then trim and cut the fennel into chunks of the same size as the shallots. Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy-based casserole, add the shallots and fennel, and soften them over a medium heat for five minutes.
Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until its oil seeps into the shallots and everything starts to smell fragrant. Grind two teaspoons of the fennel seeds and all the coriander seeds in a mortar, then stir into the pot and cook until the shallots are soft and the chorizo is starting to caramelise. Peel and slice three of the garlic cloves, add these to the shallots with the bay leaves, stirring for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and wine.
Meanwhile, pour 300ml boiling water over the saffron, leave to steep for a few minutes, then add the lot to the casserole pot and leave to bubble gently. Rinse the couscous in cold water.
For the crumbs, peel and finely chop the remaining three garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a frying pan until it foams, darkens and smells nutty. Add the chopped garlic, breadcrumbs, rosemary, lemon zest, the remaining teaspoon of fennel seeds and the chilli flakes, if using, season generously, then stir-fry on a medium-high heat for five to eight minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the whole thing smells delicious. Stir in the parsley and take off the heat.
When you’re ready to eat, fold the couscous into the stew, lay in the pieces of fish, pushing them down gently into the liquid, and simmer for five to six minutes, until the cod turns opaque. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls, top with a generous sprinkle of crumbs and serve.
The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.
Whisky and orange creme caramel
Experiment with other citrus in your flan – clementines work beautifully especially when paired with a less peaty, smoky whisky.
Prep 30 min
Infuse 30 min
Cook 40 min
Chill overnight
Serves 4
1 orange
225g whole milk
75g whipping cream
2 tsp whisky
1 vanilla pod, split
2 medium eggs, plus 1 egg yolk extra
40g caster sugar
For the caramel
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp whisky
Juice of 1 orange
First, infuse the cream. Cut away strips of the orange peel and put these in a pan with the milk, cream, whisky and vanilla. Bring up to a simmer, then take off the heat and leave to steep for half an hour.
For the caramel, put the caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan (preferably one that is not dark inside, so you can see what’s going on). Add two tablespoons of hot water and, once that’s been absorbed by the sugar, set the pan on a medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keep the pan on the heat until darker patches start to form, then start to swirl the pan around to disperse the darker patches, but do not stir. Once the sugar is the colour of dark caramel, add the whisky and orange juice, then heat gently, whisking to dissolve the sugar again Divide the caramel between four ramekins.
Heat the oven to 150C (130C fan)/300F/gas 2. In a bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolk and sugar, then pass the infused cream through a sieve and into the eggs, whisking lightly to combine. Pop the ramekins in a roasting tray and pour the cream mix into the ramekins.
Fill the baking tray with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then bake for 40 minutes, until the egg mix is just cooked. Leave to cool, then chill overnight.
When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside edge of each ramekin, turn upside down and invert on to individual plates. Garnish with more orange zest.
