Minty Moroccan Couscous
Okay, to be fair in Morocco couscous is usually cooked differently, but since that is the country that I always think of when I’m in the mood for this wonderful food I decided to name the dish as such. You could make it with any herb that you like, mint just seems to work so well here. Parsley and tarragon are both nice too, if making couscous with the later it goes beautifully with fish dishes. If made with vegetable stock this dish is not only vegetarian, but vegan as well.
Minty Moroccan Couscous
250 g (9 oz) of dried couscous
About 300 ml bladder friendly vegetable or chicken stock (or even water)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp finely chopped mint, plus a few mint leaves to garnish the finished dish with
½ tsp dried coriander leaves
Freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper, both to taste (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C).
Combine the couscous and olive together is a mixing bowl, using your fingers try to lightly coat the grains of couscous in the olive oil. Next add the stock (or water), transfer the mixture to a baking dish (a casserole dish works well here), cover with a lid or tinfoil and cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently stir in the chopped mint, salt and pepper (if using) and dried couscous. Garnish with a few mint sprigs and serve warm, at room temperature or even chilled if you like. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for three days if well covered.
Serves 5-6 people as a side dish