Nigel Slater's Recipes for Couscous Salad with Chicken and Watermelon with Peach and Feta

There is a moment, in the depths of summer, when I wonder if I could not live on melon alone. cantaloupe wedges tucked under folds of San Daniele ham; a slice of now-old-fashioned green-fleshed honeydew for breakfast; plate after plate of feta glazed watermelon. Melon makes a refreshing summer gazpacho with tomatoes and basil, and I sometimes serve it as a dessert in a chilled syrup made with elderflower cordial and lemon verbena.

The salad I served twice this week is the classic version with watermelon and feta, but with pumpkin seeds and whole leaves of midsummer basil. The hot spiciness of the basil is good with the candied melon, the pumpkin seeds a pleasant crunch with the salty feta. the grill, but if I'm making salad for lunch, there must be a substantial offer as well. This time a chicken version with white-tipped radish, sprouted seeds, watercress, couscous and harissa. You can do this with leftover roast chicken, but I poached the bird from scratch with herbs and vegetables, then used the resulting broth to fluff up the couscous grains. A very small detail, but one that makes couscous much more interesting.

Chicken couscous salad

My rule with any couscous salad is that there absolutely must be twice the volume of herbs, fruits and vegetables like couscous. The more parsley, tomatoes, sprouts, radishes, etc., the better. And I use the instant couscous variety, not just to wind up the purists, but because life is too short not to.

Serves 4 people

For the chicken: 2 chicken breasts on the bone 1 chicken leg, 6 large whole chicken wings 2 carrots, 2 medium leeks, 1 small onions, coarse thyme 6 sprigs of parsley 8 stalks of celery 1 tomato stick 2 water 2 litres

For the couscous: boiling broth 200ml fine chicken couscous 100g cherry tomatoes 15 harissa paste 1 tsp plum honey a few large, to finish

For the dressing: olive oil 4 tbsp cherry vinegar 1 tbsp plum honey 1 tsp

Place the breasts, thighs and wings in a large, deep saucepan. Scrub then coarsely chop the carrot, wash the leeks carefully, making sure that no grain remains trapped between its layers, then add them to the pan with the carrots. Peel the onions, cut them in half and add them to the chicken with the thyme, the sprigs of parsley and the stalk of celery. Add the tomatoes, whole, then pour the water over them and bring to a boil.

When the water boils, lower the heat so that the liquid only bubbles gently, then let it simmer for an hour. Remove the pan from the heat, let the chicken cool in its broth, then remove the meat from the thighs and breasts. (The wings have done their job.) You can slide most of the meat off the bones with your fingers. Cut or tear the meat into large pieces and set aside to cool.

Boil 200 ml of chicken stock. Put the couscous in a bowl and pour the hot broth over it. Cover with a plate while you prepare the salad.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, put them in a small bowl and toss them with the harissa paste and honey . Put the chickpeas and sprouted mung beans in a colander and rinse them thoroughly with cold water, then shake them dry and put them in a large mixing bowl. Wash the watercress thoroughly, shake it and remove the tough stems. Roughly chop the parsley leaves. Mix the watercress and parsley with the sprouted chickpeas and mung beans, then the reserved chicken and tomatoes and their dressing. Thinly slice the radishes.

Run a fork through the couscous to separate the grains and add, along with the radishes, to the other ingredients. Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette with a little salt. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss everything together. Stack on a serving platter - if desired, lined with salad leaves.

Toasted watermelon, peach, feta and seeds