A perfect partner to a variety of barbecued fish, meats and poultry. 

Bitter radicchio, baby cos and green oak lettuce leaves were tossed together with creamy Sicilian olives, Greek feta, and a good grind of black pepper and sea salt. Just before serving I  drizzled over a dressing of fresh lemon juice, white balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. 

This beautifully textured, cinnamon flavoured side dish of Warm Giant Couscous Salad was at first rejected by four of my children. They hadn’t even allowed a spoonful to pass their lips but were already protesting at the thought of doing so. This couscous is delicious, so delicious that I could have easily commandeered the entire bowl and scooped up every last little pearly mouthful myself. 

Instead, I insisted that they all eat what I had served up on their plates. I’m simply not one of those mothers who makes separate meals to suit the fussy fancies of every member of the family. That’s a complete waste of time and defeats the notion of sitting and enjoying a home cooked meal as a family. Sometimes it helps, especially for little ones, to weave a story around the food. So I added for the benefit of my gorgeous pirate obsessed Luka, that they are like the pearls in a treasure chest. Guess what? Not only did they enjoy this dish – alongside the Barbecued Fillet Steak and the Mixed Leaf, Feta and Olive Salad – they asked for seconds. The only complaint? I should have made more. 

Giant couscous is also called Israeli couscous or ptitim and is a tiny, hard wheat pasta that can be used instead of rice. It is available in large supermarkets and in good continental delis and grocery stores. 

Warm Giant Couscous Salad to serve 6 people as a side dish

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
25 grams unsalted butter
sea salt to taste (I used half a teaspoon)
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 small Spanish onion finely diced
3 tablespoons currants
1.5 cups giant couscous
2.5 cups water
1 x 200 gram punnet grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

In a heavy based saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over a low heat. Add the cinnamon, onion, currants and salt and sauté for 15 minutes. This gentle cooking releases the sweet sticky flavours of the base ingredients. 

Add the couscous, increase the heat to medium and stir until the grains turn a light golden colour and start to stick to the bottom of the pot. This will take about 3-4 minutes. 

Pour in the water, cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes or until the grains are cooked but still firm to the bite. Stir a couple of times to prevent sticking. 

Scoop into your serving bowl and fluff up with a fork. Add the sliced fresh tomatoes and parsley and toss through gently before serving. 

* Next time I am going to oven roast some butternut pumpkin, sprinkled with ground cumin and add this to the dish too – yum!