Fried Courgette & Burrata Pearl Couscous Salad with Parmesan & Spicy Garlic Almonds
+ Harissa Chicken Skewers.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREP + COOK TIME: 80 minutes
Ingredients
✴
Ingredients ✴
Spicy Garlic Almonds:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (70g) blanched almonds, finely chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp smoked paprika
Fried Courgette & Burrata Pearl Couscous Salad:
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a mandolin
Juice of 2 small lemons + zest of 1 lemon
4 large courgettes, thinly sliced into rounds about 3mm thick
¾ cup Alexandra’s pearl couscous
1 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano (finely grated on a microplane)
2 handfuls fresh coriander, finely chopped (about ½ cup chopped)
1 large handful fresh dill, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup chopped) + extra to garnish
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovies fillets , finely chopped/mashed on a chopping board (optional)
1 tsp runny honey
125g ball burrata, torn
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying & drizzling
Harissa Chicken Skewers:
4 free-range boneless (600g) chicken thighs, cut into 2cm thick strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp unsweetened Greek yoghurt
2 tsp Alexandra’s harissa spice mix
2 tsp each pomegranate molasses, tomato paste & brown sugar
4 metal BBQ skewers
Directions
✴
Directions ✴
Spicy Garlic Almonds: Heat a medium frying-pan or saucepan on medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and almonds and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the almonds a lightly golden brown and toasted. Add the garlic and chilli flakes to the pan toss to coat the almonds. Cook for a further 30 seconds or so, until the garlic smells fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and toss through the smoked paprika. Season with a big pinch of flaky sea salt and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
Fried Courgette & Burrata Pearl Couscous Salad: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil, for the couscous. Toss the fennel in a medium bowl with the juice of one of the lemons (about 2 Tbsp worth juice), a drizzle of olive oil and a large pinch of flaky sea salt. Set aside for 15 minutes or so, to allow the fennel to soften. Drain the fennel of the excess liquid that comes out, before tossing in the salad.
Toss the courgette in a bowl with a generous drizzle of olive oil (about 2 Tbsp) and 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Heat a large frying pan or skillet on high heat. Add half of the courgette to the pan and spread it out into a single layer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, tossing often, until the courgette is charred and tender. Transfer the courgette to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining courgette.
Cook the pearl couscous in the pot of boiling water for 10-12 minutes, or until the couscous is al dente. Drain the couscous through a sieve and rinse briefly with hot tap water. Toss the couscous in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Add the cooked couscous, drained fennel, parmesan, herbs, remaining zest and juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp worth juice), garlic, anchovies and honey to the large bowl with the fried courgettes. Season with lots of salt and pepper and toss everything together. Season to taste with salt.
Pile the salad onto a platter and tear the burrata over the top. Spoon of the spicy garlic almonds and garnish with some extra dill. Drizzle over a little olive oil just before serving.
Harissa Chicken Skewers: Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and season with 1 ½ tsp flaky sea salt. Toss everything together, until the chicken is well coated. Weave/thread the strips of chicken onto the four metal skewers and drizzle them with some olive oil. Preheat your BBQ grill to medium-high. Barbecue the chicken skewers (with the lid down inbetween turning), until charred and cooked through.