Recipe: Moroccan venison stew with lemon couscous

Anna Rogers of Very Good Venison presents this easy, delicious moroccan venison stew recipe

This recipe is great one-pot dish, with tasty flavours that give you a chance of being transported to another country. This month, you’ll be visiting Morocco with a Moroccan-inspired stew. I say, though we can’t travel right now, we can of course travel with our tastebuds! I have never been to Morocco, so for any experts who might be reading this, it is very much a dish with a British influence! Not only that, but it is simple to make and not challenging to cook, while packing in some different flavours to add a bit of variety to your weekly menu. As a busy family, that formula really works for us. It gives us the opportunity to pep up the menu without adding any stress to the day.

Moroccan-style Venison Stew with easy Lemon Couscous | Serves 4

Ingredients

• 800g diced venison
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 red onion, peeled & chopped
• 1 courgette, cut into chunks
• 2tsp turmeric
• 2tsp ground cumin
• ½tsp chilli flakes
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tbsp set honey
• 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp ginger purée
• 4tbsp tomato purée
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Fry off the onion in a little olive oil in a deep pan until soft. Next, stir in the tomato purée and allow it to cook out briefly.
2. Then, add the crushed garlic, thoroughly stirring it through.
3. Once combined, add in all of the spices, followed by the ginger. Once fully combined and smelling amazing, add the tin of tomatoes. Use the can and refill it with water, then add that to the pan too.
4. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Now you can add the venison, chickpeas, courgette and honey. Take the time to stir, making sure the honey has fully dissolved.
5. Allow the stew to gently simmer for two hours (be sure to check and stir it regularly).
6. You may want to leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. To bring a bit of colour, fragrance and flavour, a little sprinkle of fresh coriander brings the dish together perfectly.
7. Pour the couscous into a bowl (roughly 80g per person).
8. Crush one vegetable stock cube into the bowl and stir.
9. Boil a kettle and, once boiled, pour the boiling water over the couscous so that it just covers it by about 1cm.
10. Cover immediately for 10 minutes with cling film or a plate.
11. When ready, break it up and fluff with a fork.
12. Season and squeeze the juice of one lemon (if serving 4)