Mussels With Israeli Couscous Recipes

ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the Israeli couscous and cook until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Strain from the water and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and bring to high heat. After a few minutes, add the almonds to toast them in the oil. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard it. Add the cooked couscous and chicken stock. Season with salt and cook until the stock has reduced by half. Add the pomegranate seeds, apricots, and scallions. Stir to combine and taste to make sure it is delicious.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH SIMMERED TOMATOES OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Position a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Holding the tomatoes over the strainer, scoop out the seeds, letting the juice and seeds fall into the strainer. Press the seeds with a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside. Halve the tomato quarters and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Add the wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set the tomato mixture aside, covered.
• Put the couscous in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then cover and set aside.
• Just before cooking, clean the mussels. Gently tap any open shells against a countertop and wait a minute for the shell to close. If the shell stays open, the mussel is dead and must be discarded. Remove the little thistle of fiber, called the beard, that sticks out of the shell by yanking it toward the narrow end of the mussel. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and stir in a handful of salt. Soak the mussels in the water for 30 minutes, then lift them out, leaving the debris behind, and set them in a colander.
• Heat a grill and place the mussels between the grates. Grill until the mussels are open and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
• To serve, put a scoop of couscous on a plate, followed by the tomatoes, then the mussels. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Garnish with the parsley.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir couscous in the melted butter until slightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until most of the stock is absorbed and the couscous have plumped, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Stir heavy cream and pimientos into couscous; add cayenne pepper and cook until couscous is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
• Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar cheese until melted; add chives and stir to combine. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

COUSCOUS WITH MUSSELS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat oil on medium in a 4-quart sauté pan. Add chorizo and let it sizzle a minute or two. Stir in onion, garlic and Espelette and cook until onion is soft. Stir in paprika, salt and tomatoes. Simmer gently about 5 minutes, until tomatoes soften and release their juices. Stir in couscous and cook a few minutes until all ingredients are well-combined.
• Add shrimp, folding them in with the rest of the ingredients. Stir in vermouth and stock. Let the liquid come to a simmer. Taste liquid for seasoning and adjust salt and Espelette. Add mussels and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until mussels open, from 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. The couscous should be tender and should have absorbed most of the liquid.
• Serve directly from the sauté pan or pile the contents on a big, warm platter. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.