A couple of weeks ago when there were a couple of extra people to feed in the house Mrs J made an Indian Biryani rice dish with lamb for dinner. The dish required a little extra effort, not so much in the kitchen as in the shopping.

Mrs J’s local store isn’t at all bad but sometimes Mrs J’s ideas on food are just a little too much for them to handle. Luckily there are plenty of other supermarkets as well as specialty shops to choose from when Mrs J is looking for something slightly out of the ordinary.

Mrs J’s go-to Asian shop is quite small but usually has everything you need in the spice department. Except saffron, which apparently is only used for medicinal purposes in the particular area of China where the store owner is from. Mrs J once asked for saffron and got a free physical instead. Well, almost.

Cutting a long story slightly shorter, Mrs J had stuff in the pantry from the Biryani and decided to embark on a bit of fusion cooking. The result is a kind of Moroccan/Indian chicken dish.

Mr and Mrs J enjoyed this dish. Though fusion cooking is always a risk. Especially if your guests have time to think about your new freaky combo in advance. Mrs J figures this is partly because many of us are food-conservative by nature and partly because our continued experiences program us to expect certain tastes and textures to go together.

Mrs J made this dish without too much thinking. Mr J certainly ate it without too much thinking. Up to you to cook it, eat it and think about it. Or not.

Risk it, or don’t. Be happy either way!

Here’s how.

Chicken: Season chicken thighs and legs with olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt and black pepper. Cook in a heavy covered dish in the oven at 200°C for 45-50 min, then remove the lid and cook a further 15-20 minutes under the grill to brown.

Couscous: Cook according to instructions on the packet. 2dl of couscous easily serves three people. Don’t skimp on the salt. Add 2/3dl of raisins at the same time as the dry couscous to the water. Add 2/3dl of match-cut almonds and a small handful of chopped mint just before serving.

Sauce: Combine a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of cumin with 2dl of 15% fat creme fraiche, one tbsp of olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt. Chill in the fridge until it’s time to serve. Mix in a small handful of mint just before serving.