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Couscous “Risotto”
Traditional risotto is made with starchy medium-grain Italian rice. This “risotto,” modeled on a dish we had in Tel Aviv, uses pearl couscous (which actually is a pasta) and a cooking technique similar to the classic risotto method to produce “grains” with a rich, creamy consistency. The wheaty flavor of pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous) is nicely complemented by the salty, nutty notes of Parmesan cheese and the grassiness of fresh parsley.
Couscous “Risotto” with Asparagus:
Trim 1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, then cut the spears on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces; reserve the stalks and tips separately. Follow the recipe to add the 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan; after the couscous has simmered for 5 minutes, stir in the asparagus stalks. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes, then add the asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the asparagus is tender, another 2 minutes. Continue with the recipe to add the Parmesan, parsley and remaining butter.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t allow the onion to brown. The assertive bittersweet flavor of caramelized onion will easily overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.
45 minutes
Ingredients
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4
tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
-
1
medium yellow onion, chopped
Directions
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01In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown.
Pardon the interruption
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Please remove this recipe and replace it with the one for risotto that has aspargus as an option. This has too much water (4 cups instead of 3), uses oil not butter, has no cooking times, and was an absolute mess. Usually your recipes are terrific, but this is a waste of good ingredients. I salvaged it with three ounces of cheese (not 1), a double dose of pepper, and it was then just OK.
Made this tonight and it was very good. I just added the asparagus stems with 6 minutes cooking time left and put in the tips with 3 minutes remaining. The only change I made was to use 2.5 cups of water instead of 3. It really was like risotto except much easier since you didn't have to constantly stir and add more liquid.
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you mention asparagus in the directions but don't list it in the ingredients? What's up w/ that?