Crispy and savoury minced lamb, couscous sweetened with dried apricots and salad leaves bejewelled with pomegranate seeds: this salad is a complete winner!

Hairy Bikers legacy recipe
The length of the ingredients’ list might seem daunting, but it is my unwavering conviction that the number of ingredients does not correspond to the difficulty level. Plus, in Middle Eastern cuisine the deliciousness of the dishes is greatly owing to the complexity of seasoning.
And this is very much a Middle Eastern recipe even though the authors, Hairy Bikers, were English through and through. There is lamentably only one Biker riding, as Dave Myers fell to cancer early in 2024. The lamb and couscous recipe is one of their last created together.
It’s amazingly tasty, and however nice the separate elements (the lamb, the couscous) are, it really should be prepared as written. The spicy lamb complements the fragrant couscous and the salad with its pomegranate dressing creates the perfect canvas.
How to prepare the salad base
Red onion, cucumber, mixed leaves and herbs are like a pared down Greek salad base.
The red onion is sliced thinly and soaked in cold salty water to lose the bite, and it will be used to garnish the salad. The cucumbers, best if you can get the baby (aka Persian) ones, are halved lengthwise and seeds scraped out.
And the pomegranate seeds do much more than just look pretty like ruby jewels on top of the salad.
The dressing is simple but effective: olive oil and lemon juice, sweetened with pomegranate molasses and a little honey. You can whisk it in a bowl or place the ingredients in a jar and shake energetically.
How to make apricot couscous
Here couscous is flavoured with a pinch of saffron, some dried mint and chopped dried apricots. The latter, unless very soft and jammy, will benefit from soaking on their own in some boiling water for a few minutes.
Then the couscous and remaining water amount can be added, covered with cling film in the bowl and left to absorb the liquid – which is all couscous needs to be ready to eat.
How to make spicy lamb
This recipe is reasonably frugal, as it calls to use minced lamb.
The lamb is browned in a frying pan until almost crispy. If it’s very fatty and the fat pools in the pan, drain it carefully away. Then the gorgeous seasoning combination is stirred in, with garlic, cinnamon, herbs, tomato paste and harissa.
It is not especially hot, unless you pick extra spicy harissa, but it’s fragrant and, as Sy and Dave said, intensely savoury.
Assembling the salad
Some of the salad base goes at the bottom of a platter, followed by the couscous and remaining leaves and cucumbers. Half the dressing is used to drizzle it.
The lamb comes next, and the red onions, drained and patted dry with paper towels. The pomegranate seeds and grapes are the crowning glory, with the remaining dressing splashed over.
And I believe it should be served when the lamb and couscous are still warm – otherwise the lamb might become a little greasy when cold.
More Middle Eastern recipes
Baba ganoush, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dish, is a wonderfully smoky, creamy and smooth dip made with whipped flesh of charred whole aubergine. Aubergine can be roasted in the oven, then skinned and creamed with lemon, tahini and olive oil.
Bulgur wheat pilaf with red peppers and raisins: cooked like rice pilaf but refreshingly different, looks like couscous but it’s more nutritious, whole grain of cereal but not slimy like barley. That’s my perfect grain!
Salmon shakshuka: spicy tomato and pepper base with chunks of fresh salmon poached in the sauce. Swap the eggs for salmon and serve shakshuka for dinner!
More minced lamb recipes
Greek style lamb koftas served with a simple harissa dip. Lamb koftas are perfect for a barbecue and just as tasty griddled, with this easy recipe.
Baked yellow courgettes stuffed with minced lamb and tomatoes, topped with grated cheese. Large yellow courgettes are perfect for baking, and much easier to fill with stuffing than the green ones.
Homemade lamb doner kebab from Tom Kerridge is made in the oven, served in a tortilla wrap and devoured in seconds. Who said you can’t make street food at home?