All Recipes

Lemon, asparagus + giant couscous traybake

Couscous traybake for AJ WEB

Here, everything is cooked under the grill rather than in the oven, to give a charred flavour and to spice things up. Asparagus quickly sears under the grill, bringing out its nutty character, and slices of lemon which char and sweeten. You do have to cook the couscous on the hob first. Any leftover cooked grain would work well here.

Duration
Difficulty
Serves
4
Couscous traybake for AJ WEB

Ingredients

  • 200g giant couscous
  • 400g asparagus, halved lengthways
  • 1 head of spring greens (about 150–200g)
  • 2 unwaxed lemons
  • a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes or 1 teaspoon Turkish chilli flakes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • olive oil
  • 200g block of halloumi or vegan halloumi-style cheese (sometimes called ‘Mediterranean-style’), thickly sliced, broken into small pieces
  • a bunch of dill or mint, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sumac

  1. Cook the couscous

    First, cook your giant couscous in boiling water and a good pinch of salt until al dente, probably a couple of minutes less than the packet instructions.

  2. Prep the veg + add to tray

    Preheat your grill to high. Snap the woody bottoms from the asparagus and discard them or keep for a stock. Roughly shred the spring greens. Put the lot onto a roasting tray, grate over the zest of both lemons and sprinkle with the chilli flakes and the garlic. Cut the zested lemons into thin slices.

  3. Once the couscous is cooked, add it to the tray and toss with a generous amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then lay the halloumi and the lemon slices on top.

  4. Cook for a final 10 minutes

    Put the lot under the grill and cook for 10 minutes, turning from time to time until the asparagus has lost its rawness and the halloumi is browned.

  5. Serve

    Finish with the chopped dill, a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of sumac, and serve right away.

Sign up to my Newsletter

Sign up for my newsletter for joyful and inspiring recipes from me every week, as well as occasional takeovers from other brilliant chefs. I promise never to go overboard and you can unsubscribe at any time.