· 1 ½ cups Israeli couscous
· ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided· Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
· 2 ears of shucked sweet corn
· ½ cup shallots, peeled and cut into julienne
· ¼ cup jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped
· ½ cup minced scallion
· ½ pint mixed variety cherry tomatoes
· ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
· ¾ cup chopped Italian parsley
· 2 teaspoons cold butter
Bring 4 cups salted water and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a boil. Place the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over the couscous and wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. The couscous will absorb the liquid, and the trapped steam will cook the couscous thoroughly. Once the couscous has absorbed the liquid, unwrap and mix well to prevent clumping. Set aside.
Drizzle the corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on all sides until nicely charred. Allow the corn to cool, shave the kernels off and set aside.
In a medium sauté pan with olive oil, sauté the shallots, jalapeno and scallion until softened, add the corn and check for seasoning.
Add the vegetable mixture to the couscous.
To serve, get a medium saucepan very hot. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When smoking, add the cherry tomatoes and char quickly. Add the couscous and stir to combine. Taste and re-season if necessary. Add the vegetable or chicken stock and reduce by half. Finish with the fresh parsley and the butter. Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.
