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Insalata Siciliana di cous cous: Sicilian style cous cous salad

July 16th, 2008

This is the hit of my cooking year so far. I worked up the recipe because a client had a person who would not eat cheese so I wanted a second primo without any. In a meal full of favorites, this salad was the favorite dish.

You can’t make a tiny amount. There are just too many ingredients. You could make less, but not little. Don’t let it stop you. It’s an ideal summer salad because it is safe at room temperature, no matter how hot your room or patio is. Leftovers are delicious from the refrigerator and most of the salad can be pre-prepared ahead of time.

There is nothing wrong with any of that and a whole lot right with it.

The ingredients relentlessly move back and forth from sweet to sour with some crunch added in just for the pleasure. It’s kind of pretty, too.

Insalata Siciliana di cous cous

Serves 8-12

Almost all the vegetable components can be made a day ahead and stored in plastic containers in the fridge to make the preparation very quick. The only ones I would do last minute is the tomatoes and the radishes to preserve a good texture.

3 slices of marinated dried tomatoes, diced
¼ cup or an espresso cup of stoned dry cured olives cut in two
¼ cup or one espresso cup of capers, coarsely chopped if they are large
½ cup or 2 espresso cups of chopped mild onions
1 large or several small cucumbers, diced
½ cup or 2 espresso cups of very ripe tomatoes, diced
the contents of an 8 ounce jar or two 4 ounce jars of artichoke hearts in marinade—reserve the oil for the dressing
a good handful of raisins
1 bunch of radishes, halved and then sliced thinly
about 4 ounces of fresh lemon juice
the artichoke oil
olive oil as needed
2 handfuls of fresh herb leaves—oregano, marjoram, thyme, chives, parsley, basil, choose 3 of those.

2 cups or 400 g cous cous prepared in 2.5 cups or 20 ounces of broth or salted water according to the directions

In a large bowl, soak the raisins in the lemon juice.
Clean and prepare all the other components except the cous cous.
Beat the oil from the artichokes into the lemon juice with a fork. Taste for salt and correct. Add all the vegetable ingredients and the herb leaves (I leave the basil for the top in case there are leftovers, because it will turn black.) Mix all these well and leave to marinate at room temperature.

About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the cous cous (you add it to boiling liquid, cover and leave for five minutes!) and fluff it with a fork and then toss it with the vegetables in the big bowl. It may need some additional olive oil to be light and moist. Taste and correct once more for seasoning. Sprinkle the minced basil over the salad if you are using it.

You can garnish this with sprigs of the herbs you used, or radish and cucumber roses. This is served perfectly safely at ambient temperature.

We ate this yesterday before a Peruvian spicy stew and the plum cake that I called the “easiest cake you have never yet made.” It’s still that easy and plums are in season. Mangiate!

I’ve decided to send this off the Presto Pasta Night this week hosted by Kate at Thyme for Cooking. Chow down world.

Entry Filed under: Italy, pasta, salad, vegetarian, Italian food, recipes, vegetables, easy, cookery, antipasto

10 Comments Add your own

1. Barbara | July 16th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

Thanks for posting this recipe so quickly! Altho we just ate it yesterday, I think I’ll be making it very soon! Yummy!

Also, thanks for a wonderful lunch yesterday! Will we be seeing the spicy Peruvian chicken recipe any time soon???
2. María I. | July 17th, 2008 at 4:45 am

This recipe came at a perfect time when I refuse to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen cooking when it\\\’s 105 outside. Thanks!

Is the Peruvian spicy stew ají de gallina? I love this dish and can\\\’t get enough of it. I can\\\’ t eat it in the summer because of the heat (in the dish and outside) but it\\\’s my all-time favorite South American dish.
3. Gianna | July 17th, 2008 at 9:22 am

I.t\’s delicious. I was one of the lucky people to taste for the first. I didn\’t identify dried tomatoes. Usually in Italy in cous cous dishes we don\’t put the oil of marinated artichokes but vinegar. We are leaving for England on Tuesday. I\’ll miss your cooking, English food is horrible, a good way to go on a diet!! Bye
4. admin | July 17th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

@Gianna:

I don’t like to waste any of the flavor of artichokes! But it worked, didn’t it?
5. admin | July 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

@María I.:

It sure was aji de gallina, but using SW chillies my TX pal brings me instead of yellow aji chillies. They were hard to find in DC too. I like aji de camarones, too, but the gallina more. I use an old hen for the gallina part because they are so much more tasty, and therefore I had good broth for making the cous cous. Do you not also love causa?

Enjoy the salad. Unless you consider boiling water cooking, there’s no cooking at all.
6. admin | July 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

@Barbara:

If you like. I usually only post my own recipes or translated Italian ones, but will happily post the aji. Next, however, is the zucchine-bran bread, because these people are suffering from TOO MANY ZUCCHINE.
7. María I. | July 17th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

Yes, causa is another wonderful Peruvian dish. I like it only with a tuna filling. I\’m slowly being introduced to Peruvian food by my many Peruvian friends and my mom\’s caregiver, Elza. Last month I posted on my blog a photo of the ají Elza made for me.

I\’m thinking of making the cous cous salad this weekend as an accompaniment to fish. We like to eat sardines in the summer, do you think it will go well with oil packed or grilled sardines?
8. Ruth | July 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am

I love couscous - savory or sweet, hot or….given the heatwave we’re having …cold. It’s a perfect salad base and your version looks wonderful.

Hope you’ll share it with Presto Pasta Nights.
9. admin | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Maria, I’d like it with grilled sardines, but I don’t even want to think about oil packed ones.

I learned about Peruvian food when my closest friend, Elba, lived near me in Washington, DC. Then I went to see her in Lima when she went back. I didn’t eat Guinea pigs, but I liked everything I did eat!
10. katie | July 24th, 2008 at 9:28 pm

I can see myself standing in the fridge, eating the leftovers… I love couscous salads, especially with lots of ’stuff’ in them!