Couscous Royal (Moroccan Seven-Vegetable Couscous with Chicken and Lamb)

I have written about Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives (recipe on the site) and a bowl of Harira (recipe on the site) for Ramadan evenings, but I had somehow never gotten around to the dish that Moroccan families actually build their Friday around — couscous royal, the big, generous version loaded with chicken, lamb, and a full seven vegetables piled over a mountain of steamed semolina.

This is not the five-minute couscous most Americans know from a box. Real couscous, the kind my Moroccan neighbor taught me to make, gets steamed multiple times over a simmering vegetable and meat stew, absorbing the broth’s flavor with every pass, and fluffed by hand between steamings rather than just soaked in boiling water. It takes real effort, and a couscoussier (a stacked steamer pot) makes it easier, but a large pot with a fine mesh colander set on top works almost as well if that is what you have in your kitchen.

The seven vegetables are somewhat flexible depending on the season and what is in the market — carrots, turnips, zucchini, cabbage, pumpkin, chickpeas, and tomatoes are the classic lineup, and I have adjusted mine slightly for what is reliably available at American grocery stores in the fall and winter. This is a dish meant for a table full of people, not a quiet weeknight dinner for two, and it is worth setting aside a full afternoon for it at least once.

Couscous Royal Recipe

Prep time: 40 minutes · Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes · Total: 2 hours 25 minutes · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~560 kcal per serving per serving

Ingredients

• For the meat and broth:
• 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 cups water or chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• For the seven vegetables:
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 turnips, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 small green cabbage, cut into wedges
• 2 zucchini, halved crosswise
• 2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into large chunks (in place of pumpkin)
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
• For the couscous:
• 3 cups medium-grain couscous
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and brown the chicken and lamb pieces on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pot, cook the onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon stick, and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Return the meat to the pot, add the water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, until the meat is nearly tender.
4. Add the carrots and turnips and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, zucchini, and squash, and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes until all the vegetables and meat are tender.
5. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and raisins if using, and simmer for a final 10 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper.
6. While the stew finishes, prepare the couscous: place it in a wide bowl, drizzle with half the olive oil and the salt, and rub it through the grains with your fingers. Gradually add half the warm water, tossing and fluffing with a fork, then let sit for 10 minutes to absorb.
7. Steam the couscous over simmering water (in a couscoussier, or a fine colander set over a pot of simmering water, covered) for 15 minutes. Turn it out into the bowl again, fluff it, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and warm water, and steam a second time for 10 to 15 minutes until light and fluffy.
8. Toss the finished couscous with the butter. Mound it on a large platter, make a well in the center, and arrange the meat and vegetables over and around it. Ladle some of the broth over everything and serve the rest on the side.

Recipe Notes

• A couscoussier makes this easier, but a large stockpot with a fine metal colander that fits snugly on top (sealed with a damp kitchen towel around the rim to trap steam) works nearly as well.
• Instant couscous can be substituted for a much faster version — prepare it according to the package, then stir it with a little of the finished broth and butter before serving, though the texture will be softer than the traditional double-steamed method.
• This is very much a make-ahead friendly dish — the stew improves overnight in the fridge, and you can steam the couscous fresh the next day.
• For a lighter, all-poultry version, simply omit the lamb and use a full 3 to 4 lbs of chicken instead — still very traditional in many households.