Zucchini, herb, and lemon tagine

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

pinch of fennel seeds

pinch of ground cinnamon

2–3 tsp harissa (or to taste)

4 preserved lemons, halved, pith removed, and halved again

28oz (800g) can whole tomatoes, chopped

1 head broccoli, broken into florets

6 zucchini, sliced

juice of 1 lemon

handful of fresh dill, finely chopped

14oz (400g) couscous

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

harissa and lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1 Heat half the oil in a large heavybased pan, add the onions, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Season. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, cinnamon, harissa, and lemons.

2 Add the tomatoes and stir well, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat for 30–40 minutes, or until the fennel is soft. If the sauce starts to dry out, add a little hot water.

3 Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in a pan of boiling salted water for 3–5 minutes or until tender, then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and set aside. Heat the rest of the oil in the frying pan, add the zucchini, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini start to color a little. Add a squeeze of lemon and stir in the dill.

4 Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large bowl and pour in just enough boiling water to cover it. Set aside for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the broccoli and zucchini to the sauce and stir in the parsley. Serve with the couscous, lemon wedges, and harissa.

Zucchini, herb, and lemon tagine