Toasted Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Spring Vegetables and IPA Dressing
This cous cous recipe uses a larger sized cous cous, the Israeli variety, that is essentially a pasta, not an actual grain. Toasting the Israeli cous cous adds a nice nutty element to the dish that is further expressed with spring seasonal vegetables. This Toasted Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Spring Vegetables and IPA Dressing recipe is easy to make, delicious as a side starch or side vegetable with many different meals. With peas, braised fennel, a mix of fragrant herbs and a citrusy IPA Dressing; serving it alongside a Mediterranean Stuffed Leg of Lamb would compliment each recipe. The combination of these two recipes would bring the beer pairing to a citrus forward APA or IPA beer style. I am a huge fan of what 3 Floyd’s Brewing Co. has done over the years. I suggest their Zombie Dust APA, to be both cooked and paired with this recipe. The tropical | citrus | piney flavors will pair perfectly with the braised fennel and fennel pollen, fresh English peas, pea shoots and coriander seeds.
If 3 Floyd’s Zombie Dust is hard to find, one of my go to Pale Ales brews is Russian River Brewing Co. Blind Pig. It is bright, full of complex citrus notes, a wonderful malt backbone and would highlight the herbs used in this Toasted Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Spring Vegetables and IPA Dressing.
This Beer Cuisine recipe can also be used, not just as a side vegetable | starch, but as a filling in a Middle Eastern Shawarma. Think about adding grilled beer brined chicken or more roasted vegetables (for a vegetarian version), some crumbled feta or goat cheese, a Harrisa sauce and even some Beer Hummus. Grilled eggplant, roasted bell peppers, roasted red onions and crumbled feta cheese could also be mixed into this recipe, to transform it a entrée salad.
Adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Mar 2016 | Issue #110
|
Rate this recipe!
|
Print Recipe
|
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 servings | 10 minute |
| Cook Time |
| 45 minute |
|
|
-
3 cup
cous cous, Israeli style available here: Israeli Couscous
- 3 3/4 cup water, cold
- 1 tablespoon salt, kosher
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 teaspoon marjoram, dried
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds toasted
- 1 teaspoon fennel, seeds toasted
- 1 each bay leaf, preferably fresh
- 1 each fennel, buld, roasted
- 1 1/2 cup peas, fresh English, fresh and shelled or frozen, blanched
- 2 cup pea shoots or tendrils
- 1 cup parsley, Italian leaf stems removed and chopped
- 4 ounce pine nuts, shelled, toasted
- 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, mixed freshly cracked
-
fennel pollen, available here: Fennel Pollen
, to taste
, to taste- 1/2 cup India Pale Ale, such as 3 Floyds Zombie Dust IPA, Russian River Blind Pig IPA or other American IPA
- 1/4 cup fennel braising liquid
- 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
- 1/2 cup citrus, such as orange or Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
- In a medium pot with a lid, add the Israeli cous cous and place over medium heat. Toast the cous cous for 7 – 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s a golden color.
- Add the water, increasing the heat to high. Add the salt, thyme, marjoram, toasted coriander and fennel seeds and bay leaf.
- Cook 10 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Transfer the cous cous to a sheet tray, spreading it out, and allowing it to cool for 30 - 40 minutes.
- Prepare the roasted fennel as in the Mediterranean Stuffed Leg of Lamb recipe. Let cool. Add cous cous and toss with the IPA Dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- The finished roasted fennel will be sweet, with a wonderful aroma and tender.
- Blanch the peas in boiling water for 1 – 2 minutes, then shock in a cold water bath. Place the fennel and peas in a large bowl and add the pea shoots, parsley and pine nuts (toasted to a golden yellow in a 325°F | 163°C oven for about 10 minutes, then cooled).
- Pour the salad onto a serving platter and garnish with parsley leaves and a sprinkle of fennel pollen.
- In a small bowl, add the IPA, reserved braising liquid from the fennel, salt, citrus juice and zest (that compliment the IPA you choice) and mix together. Set aside until ready to serve.
More Mediterranean Beer Cuisine Recipes:
