Apologies to Erin who sent me out this Pearl Couscous to me to try last month! I have been meaning to blog about it sooner, but I have been swept off my feet with so many other things, I haven't had a chance to enter the kitchen. But I finally made some time, and cooked up the Pearl Couscous to see what it was all about.
Gabriel Gate's face proudly endorses the couscous. I received some recipes by him that incorporated the couscous; but none of them really took my fancy... sorry Gabriel. I would have tried your minestrone soup recipe if it was 1000000000 degrees in Melbourne when I was cooking.
As you can see, the Pearl Couscous is much much larger than your standard couscous. When I cooked it, I would say it was al dente. It reminded me a bit of pasta just by the texture, but mum said it was like the bubbles found in bubble tea. It was nice and soft, and worked really well with the meatballs.
It did absorb a lot of the sauce, which is good as I find that couscous doesn't really have much flavour to begin with.
I think it would be very interesting in salad for the warmer days coming up in summer on a picnic.
Some facts you might be interested in:
Traditional couscous is about 1mm in diameter when dry. The Pearl Couscous is larger, at about 3mm. The extra surface of the Pearl Couscous allows for more efficient absorption of sauces, stocks and spices than the traditional couscous.
Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous is featured on the menus of famous restaurants like Nobu in New York , and Maha in Melbourne
Pearl Couscous is made from 100% hard wheat, and is then toasted in an open-flame oven, which gives it a nutty flavour. It cooks in just 10 minutes, and can be enjoyed hot, cold, as a side dish or even as a dessert.
For more information, and recipes by Gabreil Gate, head to: www.blu.net.au
Moroccan Meatballs
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 410g cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/3 cups couscous
1 1/3 cups boiling water
Meatballs
500g lamb mince
1 small brown onion, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons Moroccan spice mix
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons currants
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1. Make meatballs: Combine mince, onion, spice mix, pine nuts, currants and parsley in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on a plate.
2. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches, turning often, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 3 teaspoons of oil, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Return meatballs to pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce reduced slightly. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, place couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate the grains. Spoon couscous into bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce.
Serves 4.
Voila! Bon Appétit!
looks good! After my last time cooking cous cous Ben has officially banned it from the house - the texture gives him the creeps!