Couscous Salad
Name of the grain
Name of the dish
I think this couscous salad is my favourite picnic dish of 2009. This is mainly because I can prepare it in advance and have it in the fridge, ready to go, if a picnic beckons. It’s also easy to eat just with a fork – I even find myself eating it by the forkful straight from the fridge sometimes! Better for me than a biscuit or the homemade fudge I’ve been making recently! In fact it can keep for at least 2 days in the fridge without spoiling, so it’s perfect for busy people. In fact, if anything, the flavour improves by keeping it for a day. It doesn’t take very long to prepare either. I have got it down to 12 minutes now, as long as I have pre-cooked beetroot ready. So what is couscous? It is actually the national dish of Morocco. The name applies to both the grain (a type of semolina) and to the whole, garnished dish, which can be infinitely variable. As a North African Berber dish it is served hot with a type of stew. Nowadays we can buy the grain pre-cooked so it is perfect for our hectic lifestyles. When you buy pre-cooked couscous you just have to add boiling water to it, following the instructions on the packet, and fluff it up with a fork. Then you can add anything you feel like really. For instance a Moroccan style couscous salad could be made with couscous, chickpeas and roasted vegetables. This is the recipe for my favourite version of the moment. It keeps so well and I find it serves 6 easily, with other picnic food. I have enjoyed it on its own for lunch with my daughter, with barbecued sausages in the garden, with cold chicken breast slices or as part of a selection of salads at a family picnic. Ingredients: - 150 grams of couscous (you can use plain or spicy – I like Ainsley Harriott’s Spice Sensation)
- half a teaspoon of Harissa to add a little more spice! (optional)
- juice of an orange
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 50 grams of toasted flaked almonds
- 100 grams of cooked beetroot, diced
- 200 grams of Feta cheese, cubed
- a large handful of coriander (cilantro) or mint, chopped
Directions: Make up the couscous according to the instructions. I use 200 ml boiling water and leave for about 6 minutes. Mix the harissa paste with the orange juice and oil and add to the now swollen grains. Fluff up with a fork and, when cool, add the other ingredients. Store covered in the fridge until ready to eat or pack in a cooler and transport to your picnic.
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