Halve the leek. Rinse out any grit and thickly slice it. Roughly chop the celery sticks. Peel and dice the carrots. Slice or quarter the mushrooms, depending on how big they are. Peel and grate or crush the garlic.

Heat ½ tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the chicken. Fry for 5 mins, turning a few times, till the chicken is browned all over. Lift out of the pan. Set aside.

Add the leek, celery, carrot and mushrooms. Season. Cover and fry the veg over a medium-low heat for 7-8 mins till soft. Stir every now and then.

Take the lid off the pan. Add most of the thyme sprigs and all the garlic. Turn the heat up a little. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 2 mins, stirring once or twice.

Stir the lentils into the pan. Add the chicken. Crumble in the stock cube. Pour in 1 ltr boiling water. Cover. Simmer for 15-20 mins till the lentils are tender. If the stew seems too thick, add a splash more water.

While the stew simmers, pull the kale leaves off the thick middle cores. Finely chop the leaves. Tip the couscous into heatproof bowl. Pour in 150ml boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate or cling film and set aside to soak.

Add the kale to the stew. Simmer, without the lid on, for 3-5 mins till the kale is tender. Taste the stew and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Lift out the thyme sprigs.

Divide the couscous between 2 warm bowls. Ladle in the stew and top with a few thyme leaves to serve.