Israeli Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts and Currants

Couscous. The dish so nice you say it twice.

Products that originated in, or are otherwise associated with a particular country are often referred to by that country’s name when they go global. Example: French fries. They are simply “frites” in France. Canadian bacon is “back bacon” in Canada. American cheese is…um, also American cheese here. But that’s just because we haven’t figured out what the fuck it actually is. Bad example. Never mind. My point…

My point is that Israeli couscous is not called Israeli couscous in Israel. It is called “ptitim”, which means “little portion”. Like Moroccan couscous, it made from semolina flour. In other words, it’s pasta. Like its Italian dopplelganger fregola, it is toasted, for a great nutty depth of flavor.

Which is amplified further by adding nuts in the mix. In this case, pine nuts. A quick Google search will show you that a great many recipes for Israeli couscous include pine nuts. I mean, they do sort of look like they belong together, right? Like brothers from another mother?

They definitely taste great together. Which is why we are talking the risk.

What risk, you ask?

The two most dangerous tasks in the kitchen are 1. Using a mandoline. I take my goddamned life in my hands every time I use one. And 2. putting pine nuts in the oven to toast and walking away for even a moment.

Sure, you snicker. You chuckle. Listen: pine nuts go from anemic-looking to smoldering ashes in the melted wreckage of your Wolf range in 2.8 seconds. You need to take this shit seriously.

So take your potty break before they go in the oven. (For God’s sake wash your hands when you’re done). Turn off your phone. Don’t walk away.

We’ll do a couple more things to make this dish worth the risk you’re taking with your Wolf range. Confit a little garlic and make an infused olive oil, for one. Rehydrate some currants with a little champagne vinegar, for two. And finally, throw in some top shelf spices: ginger and cinnamon, and of course, a hint of saffron.

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Shit You Need

For the currants:

1. 1 cup dried currants

2. 1 cup boiling water

3. 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

4. 1 bay leaf

For the garlic olive oil:

1. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2. 3 cloves garlic, sliced

3. pinch of kosher salt

For the salad:

1. 1 small onion, diced

2. 4 scallions, chopped, green and white parts separated

3. 1 teaspoon ground ginger

4. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5. 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

6. 2 teaspoons kosher salt

7. 2 cups Israeli couscous

8. 2 1/2 cups water

9. 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

10. the zest of one orange

For the vinaigrette:

1. garlic olive oil

2. 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice OR 3 Tbs champagne vinegar

3. 1 small shallot, minced

4. 1 teaspoon salt

5. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

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Keep Calm and justeffingcook

Hydrate the currants:

1. If you have a two-cup Pyrex measuring cup, boil the cup of water right in your microwave.

2. Add the champagne vinegar and bay leaf, then stir in the currants. Set aside for an hour or so.

Rehydrated currants.

Make the garlic oil:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the sliced garlic in a small oven-safe dish or bowl. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then the olive oil.

3. Place in the oven while you do some other stuff. Once the garlic is soft and golden and smelling awesome, it’s finished. Set it aside to cool.

Pine nuts:

1. Ready? Okay. Place the pine nuts on a cookie sheet and toast, shaking the tray every couple of minutes until golden and fragrant.

Vinaigrette:

1. Whisk the vinegar (or lemon juice) with shallots, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil, garlic and all.

Confit garlic vinaigrette

Make the Couscous:

1. Place 2 Tbs of olive oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Sauté onion and white parts of scallions over medium-high heat until translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Add saffron, ginger, cinnamon and salt and toss until fragrant. Add couscous and sauté until lightly toasted.

3. Add water and simmer the whole shebang 10 minutes, until water is absorbed, then cover pot and let rest off the heat for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a serving bowl.

4. Drain the currants, setting aside a few tablespoons of them for garnish. Add the rest of the currants to the couscous along with the vinaigrette, green parts of scallions, parsley, and all but a few tablespoons of the pine nuts. Toss well.

5. Sprinkle the last of the currants and pine nuts on top, and serve.