Moroccan-Style Couscous, With Bacon, Butternut & Feta Cheese

Ingredients

• 500g Butternut Squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into small cubes
• 250g COLCOM Streaky Bacon, diced into small cubes
• 3 Tbls Olive Oil
• 200g Couscous
• *1 ½ tsp Ras el Hanout (See recipe below)
• 250ml hot Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• ½ Orange Zest and squeeze of juice
• 50g Hazelnuts, toasted, roughly chopped
• 75g Feta Cheese
• 2 Tbls Fresh Mint, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Scatter the butternut squash and red onion wedges over a large shallow roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter over the Ras-el-Hanout.
3. Season well and roast for 30 minutes until golden brown and tender. Turn occasionally to ensure that it is cooking evenly.
4. Fry the COLCOM Streaky Bacon until it is brown and crispy, drain on kitchen paper.
5. Meanwhile tip the couscous into a large bowl, add chicken stock, orange zest and juice. Make sure that the couscous is just covered with liquid.
6. Cover with cling film and leave for 4 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Then fluff up with a fork and add the toasted hazelnuts, feta and chopped mint.
7. Finally add the roasted butternut squash, red onion, COLCOM Streaky Bacon and stir together.Serve on a large flat platter for maximum impact.

   *Ras el Hanout is a blended Moroccan spice. It means “Head of Shop”. It can contain as many as 100 spices or as few as 10. 
   Make your own and keep sealed in an airtight container away from heat for several months. 
   Combine the following; 1Tbls ground Cumin,1Tbls ground Coriander, 1Tbls Turmeric, 1Tbls Paprika, 1 ½ tsp ground Nutmeg, 1tsp ground Cinnamon, 1tsp ground Cardamom, 1tsp ground Allspice, 1tsp Cayenne Pepper and ½ tsp ground Cloves.