The delightful infusions of North African and Middle Eastern cuisine shines a little light on every aspect of this dish. And our favourite part would be the Zhoug (pronounced "Zoog")! This coriander sauce lends the dish a huge burst of flavour with punchy notes of garlic and a kick of fresh green chilli. You’ll want to drizzle it over everything soon enough.
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1 portion
cauliflower
1 unit
onion
1 packet
peeled pumpkin pieces
1 sachet
chermoula spice blend
1 packet
Slivered Almonds
(Contains Almond; )
1 packet
Israeli couscous
(Contains Gluten; )
1 packet
Currants
1 sachet
vegetable stock powder
½ unit
Fresh Chilli
1 clove
garlic
1 bunch
coriander
1 bunch
mint
½ unit
lemon
1 packet
venison steak
1 bag
baby spinach leaves
olive oil
1.25 cup
water
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Slice the red onion into 2cm wedges. Place the cauliflower, onion and peeled & chopped pumpkin on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle over the chermoula spice blend. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.
TIP: Cut the veggies to the correct size so they cook in the allocated time
While the veggies are roasting, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the slivered almonds and toast, tossing, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the pearl couscous and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the water, currants and vegetable stock. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is tender and the water is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
While the couscous is cooking, finely chop the long green chilli (see ingredients list), if using. Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Finely chop the coriander and mint. Zest the lemon (see ingredients list) to get a pinch, then slice into wedges. In a small bowl, add the chilli (if using), garlic, coriander, mint, lemon zest, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil (1/4 cup for 2 people / 1/2 cup for 4 people) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside. TIP: Add less garlic if you're not a fan of it raw!
In a medium frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat. Pat the venison steak dry with paper towel, then season with salt and pepper on all sides. When the oil is hot, add the venison and cook for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on thickness), or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate to rest. TIP: This will give you a medium steak. Cook for a little less if you like it rare, or a little longer for well done.
Add the roasted veggies and baby spinach leaves to the large bowl with the couscous. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Thickly slice the venison. Divide the chermoula roasted veggie pearl couscous between plates. Top with the venison and spoon over any resting juices. Spoon over the coriander zhoug. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds.