Toasted almond israeli couscous

Serves: 8

If they like it, it serves 8 otherwise

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Totaltime: 25 minutes

In Israel, the dish is called ptitim, which translates roughly from Hebrew to “little crumbles.” It was created by the Osem food company in the early 1950s at the behest of then prime minister David Ben-Gurion.

Ingredients

¾ cups sliced almonds
3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups Israeli couscous
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 medium shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Preparation

Place the almonds in a small pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Combine the broth and thyme in a medium pot set over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, turn heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and discard the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallots, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked shallots, toasted almonds, and lemon juice to the couscous, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and toss to combine. Taste and season again with salt and pepper. Serve warm, topped with parsley.

By: Leah Koenig