Chicken and Couscous Parcels Recipe
Ingredients
| 50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup couscous | ||
| 45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil | ||
| Onion | 1 , chopped | |
| 115 g/4 oz/1 1/2 cups mushrooms | ||
| Garlic | 1 Clove (5gm), crushed | |
| Cooked chicken | 115 Gram, diced | |
| 30 ml/2 tbsp walnuts, chopped | ||
| 30 ml/2 tbsp raisins | ||
| 60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley | ||
| 5 ml/1 tsp chopped fresh thyme | ||
| Eggs | 2 , hardboiled | |
| Ground black pepper | 1 To taste | |
| Raisin | 400 Gram (For the pastry) | |
| 1 egg, plus extra for glazing | ||
| Natural yogurt | 150 Milliliter (For the pastry) | |
| 150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup olive oil | ||
| Grated rind of 1/2 lemon | ||
| Natural yogurt | 200 Milliliter (For the yogurt sauce) | |
| 45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh mint | ||
| Superfine sugar | 2.5 Milliliter (For the yogurt sauce) | |
| 1.5 ml/1/4 tsp cayenne pepper | ||
| 1.5 ml/1/4 tsp celery salt | ||
| Milk or water | 0.5 Cup (16 tbs) (For the yogurt sauce) | |
| Salt | To Taste | |
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas 5. Place the couscous in a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until soft but without letting it colour. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook until the juices begin to run. Increase the heat to evaporate the juices.
3. Transfer the mushroom and onion mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, walnuts, raisins, parsley, thyme and couscous, and stir well. Chop the eggs roughly and stir them into the mixture with seasoning to taste.
4. To make the pastry, sift the flour and 5ml/l tsp salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the egg, yogurt, olive oil and lemon rind, and mix together with a round-bladed knife.
5. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 30cm/12in round. Pile the filling into the centre and bring the edges over to enclose the filling. Place seam side down on a baking sheet and gently flatten with your hand. Glaze with beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients, adding milk or water if the mixture is too thick. Spoon a little sauce over each serving.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until soft but without letting it colour. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook until the juices begin to run. Increase the heat to evaporate the juices.
3. Transfer the mushroom and onion mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, walnuts, raisins, parsley, thyme and couscous, and stir well. Chop the eggs roughly and stir them into the mixture with seasoning to taste.
4. To make the pastry, sift the flour and 5ml/l tsp salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the egg, yogurt, olive oil and lemon rind, and mix together with a round-bladed knife.
5. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 30cm/12in round. Pile the filling into the centre and bring the edges over to enclose the filling. Place seam side down on a baking sheet and gently flatten with your hand. Glaze with beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients, adding milk or water if the mixture is too thick. Spoon a little sauce over each serving.
Chef
