Name: Guinea fowl tagine
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 d
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 1 guinea fowl; a little olive oil; 2 carrots cut into chunks; 2 red onions cut into chunks; 6 dried prunes dates or figs; rind 1 preserved lemon cut into strips; 1 mint sprig, leaves chopped; harissa to serve; 1 large red onion roughly chopped; 1 large garlic clove; 1.5cm piece fresh root ginger roughly chopped; 100ml olive oil; 100ml lemon juice; ½ tsp Thai fish sauce; 1 heaped tsp honey; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground paprika; ½ tsp turmeric powder; ½ tsp hot chilli powder; 1 handful flat-leaf parsley; 1 handful coriander; 200g couscous; 1 tsp salt; 100g butter cubed; 1 small handful sultanas

1 guinea fowl
a little olive oil
2 carrots
cut into chunks
2 red onions
cut into chunks
6 dried prunes
dates or figs
rind 1 preserved lemon
cut into strips
1 mint
sprig, leaves chopped
harissa
to serve

For the chermoula

1 large red onion
roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove
1.5cm piece fresh root ginger
roughly chopped
100ml olive oil
100ml lemon juice
½ tsp Thai fish sauce
1 heaped tsp honey
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground paprika
½ tsp turmeric
powder
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
1 handful coriander

For the couscous

200g couscous
1 tsp salt
100g butter
cubed
1 small handful sultanas

Method

step 1
The day before cooking, put all the ingredients for the chermoula in a blender and process until smooth. Pour over the bird and marinate in the fridge overnight.
step 2
Next day, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Scrape the chermoula marinade off the bird and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the bird on all sides over a high heat. Put the carrots, onions, fruit and reserved chermoula into the tagine and place the guinea fowl on top. Pour in about 400ml water – enough to come 1cm from the top of the tagine base. Cover and cook in the oven for about 45 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for another 45 mins.
step 3
About 15 mins before serving, rinse the couscous in cold water and put in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and scatter with the butter and sultanas. Pour on 200ml boiling water. Cover and leave for 10 mins or until the grains are plump and tender. Open the tagine at the table and stir the preserved lemon and mint into the juices. Serve the couscous and harissa separately.