Apricot and ginger couscous with roast carrots and merguez

Name: Apricot and ginger couscous with roast carrots and merguez
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 5 medium carrots; 6 merguez or spicy beef sausages; 2 tbsp olive oil; 200g dried apricots; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks; 200ml water; 2 tbsp sugar; 250g instant couscous; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp chopped coriander and; 12 coriander sprigs

Jill Dupleix

October 19, 2011

Apricot and ginger couscous with roast carrots and merguez.Marina Oliphant

Time:< 30 mins

A heady mix of spicy beef sausages and fruity couscous.

Ingredients

5 medium carrots
6 merguez or spicy beef sausages
2 tbsp olive oil
200g dried apricots
1 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
200ml water
2 tbsp sugar
250g instant couscous
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped coriander and
12 coriander sprigs

Method

Heat the oven to 200C. Peel the carrots and cut into quarters lengthways. Place in a baking pan with the sausages. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until carrots are caramelised.
Combine dried apricots, ginger, water and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Boil for 10 minutes until liquid is syrupy and the apricots soft.
Place couscous in a bowl and pour on 250 millilitres of boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and toss well. Line steamer with damp muslin and steam couscous over simmering water for 20 minutes.
Drain apricots and ginger, reserving syrup. Return couscous to the bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Add the butter, chopped coriander, most of the apricots and ginger and 2 tablespoons of the syrup, tossing well.
Arrange on serving plates. Halve the sausages and arrange three halves on each plate with the carrots. Tuck in remaining apricots, spoon a little syrup over, scatter with coriander sprigs and serve.