Saucy chicken and chorizo israeli couscous | Fig and Cherry

Posted on June 26, 2011 by ChristieDinner Time, Taste Tests

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Whatand#8217;s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of store-bought stock?

Too salty! Preservatives! Fake flavour! Yes, yes and yes. I agree.

So you can imagine my delight when three pouches of chicken, beef and veggie from The Stock Merchant arrived boasting about having none of the above.

First impressions мейд a big impact with the absolutely gorgeous packaging. The opaque plastic and clear round window on the front is a great idea because you can clearly see the quality of the stock. That, and the stand-up pouch, would definitely be the decision clinchers for me at the store.

Prettiness aside, itand#8217;s whatand#8217;s inside that counts, right? These stocks contain roasted bones of only free range animals and fresh vegetables with no added salt, at all and#8211; my favourite part. There is depth of flavour, but still mild, so they donand#8217;t overpower a dish and you can add your own salt to taste.

There is nothing worse than preparing a delicious home cooked meal to discover you donand#8217;t have any homemade stock in the freezer and have to use a carton or worse (gasp!) stock cubes that make your carefully cooked meal a salty nightmare.

This recipe uses the free range chicken stock and is inspired by the famous Spanish dish of paella but uses israeli couscous instead of rice. Itand#8217;s a one pan meal that is sure to warm you up on these chilly Winter evenings (Northern hemisphere, please bookmark it for a few months time!). The chicken stock adds a real richness without overpowering the smokey paprika and chorizo flavours.

Iand#8217;ve still got a pouch each of the beef and veggie left. The beef is destined for homemade pho or possibly beef pot pies and the veggie will be мейд into risotto. Visit The Stock Merchant website for more info on their products. For your local stockists click here.

Whatand#8217;s your favourite brand of stock? Have you seen these ones at your local store?

Fig andamp; Cherry received the stock with compliments of The Stock Merchant. Many thanks to Ben for sending them!

Christie x

Saucy chicken andamp; chorizo israeli couscous recipe

serves 4

1 red (Spanish) onion
1 stick celery
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (100g) raw chorizo sausage
500g chicken thigh fillet
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
3 (300g) medium tomatoes
1 (150g) green zucchini
500ml chicken stock (I used The Stock Merchant brand)
160g israeli couscous (see note)
1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)

1. Finely chop the onion, celery and garlic and saute in the olive oil in a large deep frying pan (skillet) over medium heat until softened and starting to brown.

2. Slice the chorizo into rounds and chop the chicken into 3cm chunks. Add to the onion mixture and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until well sealed. Sprinkle with the paprika and mix well.

3. Chop the tomatoes and zucchini into small dice and add to the pan. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until the couscous is al dente and most of the stock has been absorbed.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Pick the leaves off the bunch of coriander and stir through. Serve immediately.

Note: Israeli couscous are small pasta balls that look like tapioca and are мейд from durum wheat semolina, just like pasta. Moroccan style couscous will not work in this recipe.

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