Pearl Couscous With Shrimp And Clams Recipes

ONE POT COUSCOUS WITH SHRIMP AND PEAS

Steps:

• Season shrimp with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and toss.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. When oil is smoking hot add shrimp and cook for a minute or two on both sides, until pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
• Add chopped onion and bell pepper to skillet and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic and raisins and cook for another minute.
• Add couscous and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, then turn heat down. Cook couscous for about 10 minutes until all chicken broth is absorbed. Add frozen peas and cook for a couple more minutes until peas are no longer frozen.
• Remove skillet from heat and add shrimp. Garnish with pistachios and parsley.

ONE-PAN SHRIMP AND PEARL COUSCOUS WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 1 tablespoon harissa. Set aside.
• In a large, lidded skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add couscous, garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until couscous is toasted.
• Add wine and cook until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of harissa and 2 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until couscous is al dente. (There will still be plenty of liquid.)
• Nestle the shrimp into the couscous, pushing them under the surface a bit. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat until simmering again. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, rearranging shrimp using tongs once, until they are pink and cooked through. Adjust seasoning, if needed, adding more harissa, salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

SCAMPI ON COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add onion, carrot and 1 clove smashed garlic and saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully pour tomato mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed - you want to end up with a broth. Check for seasoning.
• Return broth to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat the oil, making sure not to burn the garlic. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stirring occasionally, cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper and chopped parsley. Check for seasoning.
• To serve, mound the couscous in the center of a platter and top with the shrimp.

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH SHRIMP AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Twist the heads off the shrimp and place the heads in a medium bowl. Leaving the tails attached, peel off the shells, add them to the same bowl and set aside. Devein the shrimp, then add them to a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper. Mix together and set shrimp aside to marinate for 30 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, the chopped fennel and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until browned. Transfer the fennel to a plate, wipe the pan clean and return to a high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing the pan every now and then until charred in places. Set the tomatoes aside. Leave the pan to cool for a couple of minutes, then wipe it clean and return to a medium heat.
• Add 3 tablespoons/45 milliliters oil to the pan along with the lemon peel, tarragon and the 5 chopped garlic cloves. Slowly fry for 5 minutes until the garlic is golden and the tarragon becomes bright green and crisp. Remove half of the tarragon and set aside, to serve.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp shells and heads and fry for 7 minutes, stirring every so often until crisp and pink, adjusting the heat as necessary so the garlic doesn't begin to burn. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Carefully pour in the Pernod and let it bubble away for a minute (it may flame), then add the stock and 2 1/2 cups/600 milliliters of water and simmer gently for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to crush the shrimp heads a few times as they cook to release as much flavor as possible.
• Meanwhile, in a separate small pan over medium heat, add the fennel seeds and 2 tablespoons oil and cook until the seeds begin to pop. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Strain the stock, discarding the shells, heads and aromatics, then return to the same pan. (You should have about 3 1/4 cup/775 milliliters stock.) Add the lemon juice, chile flakes, cooked fennel, 3/4 of the charred tomatoes and plenty of pepper and cook at a bare simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to split.
• Stir in the couscous, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the couscous is cooked through but still retains a bite.
• Add the clams, cover the pan and cook until they all open, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with the remaining charred tomatoes and set aside while you fry the shrimp.
• While the clams cook, place a large, nonstick frying pan over a high heat. Once it's very hot, add half the shrimp, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown on the outside and cooked inside, then repeat with the remaining shrimp.
• Arrange the shrimp, along with the garlic and any oil, over the couscous in the pan, then drizzle the fennel seed oil over everything. Top with the fried tarragon and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

GRILLED SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, oregano, thyme, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Add 1/3 cup oil in a slow stream, whisking until vinaigrette is combined.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. While couscous toasts, stir together broth, water, and saffron in a large glass measure. Add to couscous with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir vinaigrette to combine, then stir 2 tablespoons into couscous and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature.
• Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).
• Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer (don't crowd, or shrimp won't cook evenly).
• Peel onions and trim root ends slightly, leaving ends intact, then halve lengthwise and cut halves lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Insert 1 wooden pick through each wedge to hold layers together while grilling, then put onions in a large bowl with zucchini. Toss vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Grill shrimp skewers on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once with tongs, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer shrimp, discarding skewers, to a clean bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.
• Grill vegetables on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until just tender, about 5 minutes, transferring to bowl as grilled. Remove and discard picks from onions. Drizzle vegetables with remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine.
• Spoon couscous onto a large platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange shrimp and vegetables on top of couscous and sprinkle with feta. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SHRIMP AND "PEARLS"

Steps:

• Cook couscous in well-salted boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar snaps 3 minutes before couscous is done. Drain and transfer to a bowl, then stir in 1/2 tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste.
• While couscous and sugar snaps cook, toss shrimp with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Sauté shrimp, turning once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a plate.
• Add wine, tomato, and sugar to skillet and boil until tomato starts to fall apart, about 4 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet and stir in tarragon.
• Season with salt and pepper. Serve shrimp and pan sauce on top of pearl couscous.

SHRIMP AND SCALLOP COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute zucchini and green pepper in oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, onions, basil, chili powder, garlic and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes., Stir in the shrimp, scallops, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque. Serve with couscous. Garnish with sliced basil if desired.