Serves 6-8
A perfect side dish to a summer’s BBQ’d meat or just eaten on its own with some crumbled Feta or Grilled Halloumi Cheese. Tip: you can make an extra batch of slow roasted cherry tomatoes and preserve in an airtight container or Jar with some oil.
Ingredients
2 red onions quartered
A bunch of Asparagus. Trim the dry ends off of the asparagus. If the spears are thick, peel them lightly with a vegetable peeler. Tips sliced off and set to one side. Spears chopped in 2cm chunks.
300g cherry tomatoes, halved (alternatively you can use supermarket bought semi-dried tomatoes)
1 tbp of “Dersa” Spice Blend: a garlic glove, 1/2 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tbsp crushed coriander grains, drizzle of olive oil blended into a paste in a pestle and Mortar (or blender).
500g Couscous
Recipe
- Thoroughly wash the couscous under clear tap water and drain
- Season with a teaspoon of Maldon salt and separate the couscous grains with a fork and let it drain for a good 5 minutes
- Prepare your steamer by brushing the base around the edges of the sieve with some olive oil or melted butter. You can either use a steam pot or an electric steamer as long as you make sure the base isn’t too full of water as it will make your couscous soggy.
- Put the couscous in for a first steam under medium high heat for 20mns.
- While the couscous is steaming, preheat the oven to 140C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper drizzled with a little olive oil place the halved cherry tomatoes cut side up and leave to bake for 2 hours. Season with a little more olive oil and salt and pepper once cooked and set aside.
- Put the onions seasoned with salt, pepper and marinated with the “Dersa” spice blend into the baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to coat all the pieces with seasoning and oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until nicely browned.
- Remove the top tier of the steamer from the heat and tip the couscous into a large (preferably wooden) mixing bowl and let it is cool down for five minutes.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork pouring half a cup of water in the process.
- Put the couscous back on the steamer for another 20mns
- Steam the Asparagus. Place them in the top half of the steamer pan set. Starting with the diced asparagus spears, steam for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness, or until it is tender then add the tips in the last 3 minutes.
- Your couscous should now be ready. It should have changed colour to a much lighter shade and be fluffier.
- Remove from the heat and transfer onto a large mixing bowl. Repeat the process of fluffing the couscous with a fork and drizzle with either some olive oil or melted butter according to your taste and preference.
- Mix the steamed asparagus, slow roasted cherry tomatoes and the roasted Dersa marinated onions with the couscous.
- Taste and season again if needed. Transfer into a shallow serving bowl Serve hot or at room temperature.