Ras el Hanout Turkey with Herbs & Almonds
Turkey mince seared hard, spiced while it sizzles, then cooled with lemon, chickpeas and a fistful of herbs.
Why it works
Turkey mince is lean enough to sear rather than stew, so pressing it flat and leaving it alone for two minutes builds a browned crust that stands in for a long-cooked base. The ras el hanout goes in after the browning, into hot fat, where thirty seconds is enough to bloom it without scorching the ground ginger and cinnamon in the blend. The couscous needs no pan at all — boiling stock, a plate on top, and it is done in five of the twelve minutes the frying pan runs.
Method
- Boil the kettle. Put the couscous and salt in a large bowl, pour over the boiling stock, cover with a plate and leave it while you cook — it drinks the lot in 5 minutes.
- Get a large frying pan properly hot over a high heat. Add half the oil, then the mince in one layer. Press it flat and leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes — you want a brown crust before you break it up.
- Break the mince into rough clumps and turn it until no pink remains, then push it to one side and add the rest of the oil with the onion, garlic and courgette. Cook for 4 minutes, until the courgette is browning at the cut edges and the onion is slack and translucent.
- Scatter over the ras el hanout and salt and stir everything together for 30 seconds, until the pan smells warm and resinous. Add the chickpeas and almonds and cook 3 minutes more, stirring twice, until the chickpeas take colour and the almonds smell toasted.
- Add the spinach in handfuls and stir 1 minute, until just wilted. Off the heat, stir through the lemon zest and juice and most of the herbs. Taste for salt — turkey needs more than you expect.
- Fork the couscous loose and spread it over four warm plates. Spoon the turkey over it with the yoghurt and the remaining herbs.
For the toddler
Lift out a spoonful of mince, courgette and onion at the end of step 3, before the ras el hanout and salt go in. Steep a little couscous for them in plain boiling water rather than stock, and crush a few chickpeas from the tin with a fork. Whole and chopped almonds are a choking risk under five, so keep them off their plate or grind them fine. A quarter of an adult serving is plenty.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
Chicken mince behaves identically. Lamb is richer — pour off some fat before the spices go in.
Skip the onion and grate in a shallot; it softens in under a minute.
Harissa loosened with olive oil and lemon for spooning over, and a grated carrot salad with orange juice and a pinch of cumin.
Three days chilled. Good cold in pitta with more yoghurt and lemon.