Middle Eastern Saffron Couscous with Dried Apricots
Ingredients
- 1 cup Large grain Israeli Couscous
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 2 cups Water to cook
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh scallion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup diced dried apricot
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Boil water with a little salt and saffron. Add in the couscous. Boil for about a minute and then turn off the heat. Allow the couscous to absorb the water. You want it to be tender, but not mushy. If it becomes too soft, drain off the extra liquid. If not soft enough, add a little more water. When it is ready, drain any extra liquid and cool the couscous.
- Place cooled couscous and all other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Toss together and adjuct seasoning. Serve cold.
Notes
We use Israeli large grain couscous here. This should not be confused with Moroccan couscous. Israeli couscous look like ball bearings. The other is like small grains. The way you handle them in very different. If you use Moroccan, Simply pour boiling water over the couscous and let it absorb. Then, you need to flake it apart with a fork. It sounds easy. But, it's a tricky process. Israeli couscous can be treated more like a pasta, cook, and strain.