Prep. time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 1 hour

The Art of Entertaining
Arrange the couscous in a mound on a large platter, form a crater in the center, place the vegetables on top and the vegetables around, then ladle the broth over and allow it to be absorbed. Serve the remaining broth in bowls from which everyone can help themselves.

Provide spoons for guests who don't want to form balls by hand.

Serve harissa and other condiments in small dishes.

1. Cut the meat into 10 equal pieces; wash and drain carefully.
2. Remove the stem and core from the cabbage by making a deep incision with a sharp knife. Blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water with the lemon juice and stale bread.
3. Place the meat into the bottom part of a couscous maker with the blanched cabbage, two onions each stuck with 2 cloves, the chick peas, saffron, pepper, salt and water, and place over high heat.
4. Pour the couscous into the upper part of the couscous maker and place over the simmering pot. The steam should escape only from the top: if this is not the case, seal the two parts together with a strip of cloth coated with a light paste of flour and water. Once the steam begins to come out, allow 30 minutes of cooking time.
5. Remove the couscous, place in a large deep dish and separate the grains by rubbing them between your palms or crushing them with a ladle. Moisten with 2-3 ladlefuls of cold lightly salted water, separate the grains and let rest 15 minutes.
6. Add the remaining sliced onions, tomatoes, turnips, carrots, cilantro and chilies to the broth.
7. Remove a little broth and cook the squash and sweet potatoes separately.
8. Once the broth returns to a boil, repeat the previous procedure with the couscous, but this time replace the water with olive oil.
9. Return the couscous to the top of the couscous maker and 5 minutes after the steam begins to escape, once again separate the couscous grains with butter.
10. Check the doneness of the meat and vegetables and correct the seasoning.