- 4 red onions
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- A handful of thyme, leaves only
- A 150g bag of couscous
- A 35g bag of flaked almonds
- 1 red chilli
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- A large handful of flat leaf parsley
- A 150g pot of fresh ewe's cheese
- 1 lettuce
- 1 tbsp + 4 tsp olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Roasting tin
- Frying pan
- Heatproof bowl
- Cling film (optional)
- Three bowls
- 1.
Heat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Peel the papery skins off the onions and trim off the roots. Slice 1 cm off the top of each onion.
- 2.
Carefully cut the middle out of each onion. Place the whole onions on a flat surface. Insert the knife at an angle and move the onion clockwise to cut a ‘cone’ out of each one. Scoop out any excess using a teaspoon, leaving a 1 cm shell.
- 3.
Pop the onion shells in a roasting tin. Mix 1 tbsp oil with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and pour over the onions. Sprinkle most of the thyme leaves inside the onions. Roast for 30 mins till just softened. While they cook, finely chop the onion middles. Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and fry for 4-5 mins till softened.
- 4.
Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Season. Pour in enough boiling water to cover by 1 cm. Cover with cling film or a saucer. Leave to soak for 10 mins. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan for 2-3 mins till golden – shake the pan so they don’t burn.
- 5.
Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Zest and juice the lemon. Peel and crush the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley, stalks and all. Mix them all together in a bowl. Tip half the mix into a bowl and mix with the ewe’s cheese.
- 6.
Fluff the couscous with a fork. Stir through the fried onion. Stir in the remaining chilli, lemon, garlic and parsley with 2 tsp oil. Fold through most of the almonds. Take out 4 heaped tbsp of the couscous and mix with half the ewe’s cheese in a separate bowl.
- 7.
Spoon the couscous and ewe’s cheese mix into the roast onions, pressing in firmly. Spoon the remaining ewe’s cheese over the top of the onions. Season. Bake for 15 mins till the cheese is melting and golden at the edges.
- 8.
Tear the lettuce leaves into a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and some seasoning. Toss to coat. Place two onions on each plate. Scatter over the reserved almonds. Serve with the dressed lettuce and remaining couscous.