Description[]
Tunisian couscous with fennel, red peppers and garlic
Ingredients[]
- ½ cup dill and fennel (anise) leaves
- ½ cup parsley
- handful of celery leaves
- handful of carrot tops
- ½ cup scallions and leeks
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander or tabil
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway
- 1½ - 2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes, preferably aleppo, Turkish or near east pepper for best flavor
- 2½ cups (about 1 pound) medium grain couscous
- 1 fresh green chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 6 parts
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Directions[]
- Wash the greens under running water.
- Drain and roughly chop.
- Wash and chop the scallions and leeks.
- Fill the bottom of a couscous cooker with water and bring to a boil.
- Fasten on the perforated top; add greens, scallions, and leeks and steam, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool, uncovered.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet and add the onion.
- Cook 2 to 3 minutes to soften, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste glistens.
- Add the crushed garlic, paprika, salt, coriander or tabil, caraway and red pepper flakes and cook slowly until the mixture is well blended.
- Add 1 cup water, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir the dry couscous into the contents of the skillet and stir until well blended.
- Stir in the steamed greens, leeks and scallions and mix well.
- Fold in the green chile, red pepper and garlic cloves.
- Fill the bottom of the couscous cooker with water and bring to a boil.
- Fasten on the perforated top, add the contents of the skillet, and steam, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Turn out the couscous onto a large, warm serving dish.
- Use a long fork to break up lumps; fish out the whole garlic cloves and red pepper slices, reserving them.
- Stir 1 cup water into the couscous, taste for seasoning, and cover with foil.
- Set it in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.
- Decorate the couscous with the red pepper slices in a star pattern and place the whole garlic cloves on top.
- Serve with glasses of buttermilk.