A “Frenchified” casserole of lamb, apricots and rosemary; an apricot pilaf with yogurt sauce; broiled apricots with mascarpone; an iced apricot and black currant terrine – all ideas that are both simple but not at all boring. I started with this spiced apricot couscous, which made a lovely, easy weeknight dinner, and if I find more fresh apricots and some black currants at the same time, that terrine will be a must.
Spiced Apricot Couscous
Serves 4.
- 1 c. couscous
- 1 c. vegetable stock
- 1 TBS good olive oil
- 1-3 tsp harissa
- 1 preserved lemon, cut into small pieces
- 1 small bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped
- 2 shallots
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- 1/4 tsp dried chile flakes
- 5-6 ripe apricots, pitted and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 c. dried currants or raisins
- sea salt
- black pepper
- In a small pot, bring the vegetable stock just to a boil. Add the couscous, then turn off heat immediately, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add shallots and saute until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, dried chile flakes, chopped apricots, and currants or raisins. Season with salt and pepper, and add 1 c. warm water to pan. Leave to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until apricots are very soft and sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Fluff up couscous with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in olive oil, preserved lemon, and cilantro. Add 1 tsp of the harissa, stir to incorporate, and taste for heat. My harissa is very hot, so 1 tsp did it for me, but the level of heat can vary greatly, so taste as you go and stop when you’ve hit the heat that you like.
- Pour hot apricots into a separate bowl. Serve the couscous, then mound the spiced apricots on top. Serve hot.
Dining and Cooking