Couscous Cakes

I have been in a love affair with couscous for almost ten years now.  I remember the first time I heard about it during French class in high school, and I knew instantly that I wanted to be one of those suave francophones who ate couscous instead of rice.  Couscous, for those unfamiliar with this Afro-Asiatic dish, is a classic Berber grain that is made of spherical granules and can be prepared with a variety of spices or flavors.  Unlike rice, however, the dish is significantly lighter, fluffier, and is often served with sweet dishes instead of just the salty savory dishes rice often accompanies.  Couscous, for lack of a better word, is clearly delicious.

I discovered Giada De Laurentis’s Couscous Cakes recipe when watching her episode on “Moroccan Magic.”  Having been minorly obsessed with Morocco for most of my life (the food! the culture! the language! the location!), I knew I had to make every recipe she dished out with her cutesy smile.  And I did, perhaps sans cutesy smile.  The surprise? Well, these Couscous Cakes were more than just some showing crab-cake-wanna-be dish, but rather a richly flavorful side dish of fruit, lemon, coriander, and other light spices.  It was a surprisingly easy and impressive side dish to say the least.  Make this recipe as outlined below with Moroccan cuisine such as braised lamb, or with other Afro-Asiatic inspired dishes.

Couscous Cakes

Recipe comes from Giada De Laurentis and can be found here.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups cooked couscous prepared according to package instructions

* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

* 1 egg

* 1 egg yolk

* 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

* 1 lemon, zested

* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 1/3 cup fresh mango chutney (recipe here)

1.) Prepare couscous according to package instructions.  Set aside.

2.) In a large mixing bowl add the following ingredients: cilantro, coriander, lemon zest, salt, mango chutney, egg, egg yolk, pepper, and flour.  Mix to combine.

3.) Add couscous to mixture and mix fully.

4.) Shape 7-8 patties and cook.  2 cooking options here: 1) you can pan fry the couscous cakes or 2) bake the couscous cakes on a baking sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or until golden brown) at 350F.  I prefer the second option as frying the couscous cakes is a bit…well…dangerous.  Just like a fickle crab cake, a couscous cake is equally as likely to break apart during the frying process.  So, spray down a standard baking sheet and add couscous cakes, and cook until golden brown.  If you would like to try the pan frying technique see Giada’s original recipe above.

5.) Remove couscous cakes from oven and transfer to cooling rack or plate.  Allow to sit for several minutes before serving.  Makes 7-8 cakes.  Enjoy!

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