Ingredients

• 700ml/1¾pints vegetable oil
• 1 skinless chicken breast
• trimmed into strips
• 150g/5½oz flour
• seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• 100g/3½oz couscous
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/2oz leeks
• chopped
• pinch of chilli powder
• 1 beef tomato
• roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 75g/3oz coriander
• roughly chopped
• 200g/7oz cooked couscous
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the chicken
• heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. The oil is ready when a breadcrumb dipped in will sizzle gently in it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Coat the chicken in the flour
• dip in the egg
• then coat in couscous. Deep fry the chicken for 5 minutes until golden and thoroughly cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels.
• To make the sauce
• heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leek and chilli and fry for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomato
• tomato purée
• ketchup
• vinegar
• sugar and half the coriander. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Mix the cooked couscous with the tomato sauce and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• spoon the spicy couscous into the centre of a warm plate
• place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the remaining chopped coriander.