Ingredients

2 red onions
3 carrots
4 zucchini
6 radishes
6cm piece ginger, sliced
1 free-range chicken
3 capsicum
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons harissa (I used Sabato, Julie Le Clerc brand)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups instant couscous
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon saffron
chopped parsley, to serve

Remember when a whole chicken fed a family of five? It barely feeds three these days and I don’t think it’s the chooks getting smaller! This recipe will stretch a whole chicken to feed eight. As you have pre-cooked the chicken, you only need to get it nice and charred on the barbecue, rather than worry about cooking it through.

Instructions

1.Trim (and peel if necessary) the onions, carrots, zucchini and radishes and put the trimmings, including the radish leaves, in a large saucepan with the ginger.
2.Add 2 litres of water and bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
3.Cut the chicken into about 8 pieces (leave the breasts whole) and add all the chicken to the water.
4.Cover, take off the heat and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes.
5.Remove the chicken from the stock (you can leave in the frame piece that has no meat), place in a bowl and set aside.
6.Bring the stock back to the boil and cook for 30 minutes, skimming when necessary.
7.Strain and put the strained stock back into the pot and bring to the boil again.
8.Cut the capsicum into 3-4 pieces, discarding the tops and seeds.
9.Cut the onions into wedges.
10.Cut the carrots and zucchini in half then halve again lengthwise.
11.Cut the radishes in half.
12.Blanch all the vegetables in the stock for 2-5 minutes (less for zucchini, longer for carrot), drain and put into another bowl.
13.Mix together the olive oil and the harissa then add half to the chicken and half to the veges, stirring to coat everything.
14.At this point you can leave to marinade in the fridge for up to 1 day.
15.When you are ready to serve, heat the barbecue to very hot.
16.Measure out 3 cups of the stock. The remaining stock can be frozen for later use.
17.Bring the stock to the boil, reduce to a simmer then add the salt and beans, simmering for 5 minutes.
18.While the beans simmer put the couscous in a large pan with a lid (or you can cover with foil).
19.Add 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil and rub all through the couscous with your fingers.
20.Sprinkle over the saffron then pour over the stock and beans and stir a little then cover and leave for 10 minutes.
21.Cook the chicken and vegetables on the barbecue, seasoning with salt, until heated through and nicely charred, about 8 minutes for the chicken and 5 minutes for the veges
22.Slice the chicken breast.
23.Arrange the couscous and beans on a plate and top with the chicken and veges, drizzle over remaining extra virgin olive oil and scatter with parsley.

Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles

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