Rice and pasta are kitchen staples I can’t live without. And now, thanks to Blu and the team at Haystac, I can add Pearl Couscous (also known as Israeli couscous) to my list of must-have versatile ingredients.
You can win 1 of 5 packs of Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous to trial in your very own kitchen. Keep reading to find out how!
Peal couscous takes its name from its unique pearl-like shape and size. They’re around 3mm in size and made from hard wheat toasted in an open flame oven, which gives them a rich, nutty flavour and a smooth texture -perfect for absorbing sauces, stocks and spices!
I put these to the test and made both a savoury and a sweet dish.
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small leek, rinsed and finely sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 litre fish stock
- ½ litre water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4x 100g smoked cod fillets
- 4 tablespoons aioli
- 10 basil leaves, roughly torn
- ¾ cup Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous
- Trim the fennel bulb, reserving the feathery tops, then cut the bulb in half and finely slice it.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the leek and cook until soft, then add the tomato, sliced fennel and stock. Bring to the boil, add remaining water then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and fish and cover. Cook for 7 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
- Lift out the fish and add the pearl couscous, stir well and simmer for a further 8 minutes.
- Add fish back in and simmer for a few minutes. Divide among four warmed pasta bowls. Ladle the broth over the fish and top with a spoonful of aioli. Garnish with the fennel tops and basil.
I also wanted to play around with spices so poached a cup of pearl couscous in a divine syrup of fruit juices, lemon rind, cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla bean and honey, and then once chilled, I mixed it with some fresh strawberries and blueberries. The result was a sublime fruity dessert.
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Juice of 4 apples
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 - 4 teaspoons honey, to taste
- 1 cup of Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- water, as required
- Handful berries, according to personal taste
- 4 scoops vanilla bean icecream
- Combine the juices, zest, honey, butter, star anise, cinnamon and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir every few minutes until honey has dissolved.
- Bring to the boil, then add the pearl couscous.
- Simmer for 6 minutes and add water if necessary.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Allow the couscous to remain covered until cool; fluff with a fork occasionally.
- Remove spices and mix through berries (I've used quartered strawberries and whole blueberries). Serve chilled with a scoop of ice-cream.
- I've served these with a slice of pineapple jerky as well, as I've been slightly obsessed with my fruit dehydrator lately... more to come on that shortly
Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous
Win 1 of 5 packs of Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous
To enter, simply leave a comment below in 25 words or less and tell me what you would use pearl couscous for?
Sorry, for Australian residents only. Competition entry closes on 8/12/09 11:59pm; winners will be announced on 9/12/09. Please use a valid email address so you can be contacted for your mailing address, shall you win.
Good luck and happy eating! x
For more information on pearl couscous, visit Blu’s official website.
THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED.
