I love rice pudding and this version uses couscous in a similar way to make a sweet, comforting pudding crowned with salted caramel and freshly toasted nuts.

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
2 cups milk, approximately
3 tablespoons honey
Zest from one orange
½ teaspoon cinnamon
To Serve: ½ cup pistachio nuts, shelled
1 cup yoghurt (optional)

Put the couscous, milk and honey in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat until it begins to simmer. Cook, stirring for 5-7 minutes, adding some more milk or water if it looks too thick. It ought to resemble a sloppy, porridge-like consistency. Once cooked, add the orange zest and leave to sit, covered, until ready to serve.

Salted Caramel
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
50 mls cream
½ - 1 teaspoon salt

Put sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, without stirring, until it begins to go golden. Watch it carefully as once it starts to colour it can burn very quickly! Take off the heat and add the cream (it will spit and bubble but soon calm down) and stir vigorously to combine.Add ½ teaspoon salt and stir through then dab some on a plate, allow to cool and taste test it. It should be salty/sweet. Add more salt if you need to.

Place the couscous from a big communal bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with bowls of chopped pistachios, salted caramel and yoghurt (optional).