Yotam Ottolenghi's Green Couscous

I have to come out of the closet and own up to the world....
I am in love with someone other my lovely Sjoerd.....
His name is Yotam Ottolenghi....and it is his food which has stolen my hungry herb-loving heart.

We have been liasing with each other for the past year, introduced by a friend via my husband (kinky). Since that first recipe - love at first bite - we have been inseparable. I have introduced him to my initimate circle of friends, and have even tried him out on large groups of friends for special parties. He is always a winner and charms the socks off men and women alike.

There is something quite bewitching about watching people making their first contact with an Ottolenghi. The food looks colourfully attractive yet unassuming. Usually they are talking to somebody (that person might be me), and absently mindedly they put a forkful into their mouth. It usually takes a few seconds. You can see it in the eyes. They move back and forth (or sometimes roll), as the brain searches for an explanation of what is going on in their mouth. What usually follows is some derivation of 'What IS this??! This is gorgeous. Oh my godddddd!'

This springtime-going-on-summer Green Couscous is no exception. Even though I've been seeing Otto (as he is affectionately called in our house) for quite some time now, he still surprises me as I try out new recipes from his Plenty cookbook. The herb paste that gets mixed through the couscous may seem non too exciting - it is just parsley, coriander, mint, tarragon and dill after all - but there seems to be something alchemically addictive that happens when it hits the couscous, onion, cumin, salt and toasted pistachio nuts. It is THAT good.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Green Couscous
Serves 4

150g couscous
160ml boiling water or vegetable stock (I used 250ml of vegetable stock)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbspn olive oil
1/4 tsp Maldon salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
50g shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, toasted in a dry frying pan, then roughly chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 fresh green chilli, finely sliced (I didn't use this: I'm not so hot on chilli!)
30g rocket, chopped

Herb paste:
20g parsley
20g coriander
2 tbspn chopped tarragon
2 tbspn chopped dill
2 tbspn chopped mint
90 ml olive oil

Place the couscous in a large bowl and ocver with the boiling water or stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 10 minutes (I left it for a good 30 mins, no problem).


Meanwhile, fry the onion in the olive oil on a medium heat until golden and completely soft. Add the salt and cumin, and mix well. Leave to cool slightly.


Next, make the herb paste. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth.








Use a fork to fluff up the couscous then stir/fluff the herb paste into it. Add the cooked cooled onion, pistachio nuts, spring onions, green chilli (if using), rocket, and gently mix. Serve at room temperature.


















We ate this with pan-fried sea bream and a dollop of homemade mayonnaise, the latter being added after the photo was taken!