BROAD BEANS, COUSCOUS, PINE KERNELS

Soft couscous. Crisp radishes. Toasted pine kernels. Gentle spring flavours. • For a quick midweek meal, I would use instant couscous. You can use boiling water to soak it, but I also like to use vegetable or chicken stock if I have some. Running a fork through the couscous is essential to separate and lighten the texture. It is better not to make the salad more than an hour in advance, after which time the texture may suffer. • You need something crisp to contrast with the general softness of the couscous. Cucumber for instance, radishes, celery, lightly cooked green beans cut into small dice, grated carrot, toasted nuts, especially flaked almonds. I also like adding toasted seeds such as sunflower, sesame and pumpkin.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Put the kettle on to boil. Tip the couscous into a heatproof mixing bowl, then pour enough of the boiling water over to cover it by 2cm. Set aside for about fifteen minutes, covered by a plate, till the couscous has absorbed all the liquid.

Step 2

Cook the broad beans in lightly salted boiling water for five or six minutes till just tender, then drain. Pop them out of their papery skins by pressing them between thumb and finger.

Step 3

In a dry pan, toast the pine kernels till golden, shaking the pan from time to time to help them to brown easily. Remove the peel from the oranges with a knife, taking care to cut away all the bitter white pith under the skin, then cut each orange into about five thin slices.

Step 4

Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves. (You will need a good couple of handfuls of chopped parsley.) Trim and finely slice the radishes and spring onions. Run a fork through the couscous to separate the grains, then add the chopped herbs, the broad beans and the pine kernels, then the radishes and spring onions. Season generously.

Step 5

Serve the couscous, trickled with olive oil, with the slices of orange.