Couscous "Risotto"

• servings: 4
• total time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, cut into

1-tablespoon pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup pearl couscous (see headnote)

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve

½ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more to serve

Directions

1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, 9 to 10 minutes.

3. Off heat, add the Parmesan, parsley and remaining 1 table- spoon butter, then stir until the butter melts. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesa and parsley.

COUSCOUS "RISOTTO" WITH ASPARAGUS

Trim 1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, then cut the spears on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces; reserve the stalks and tips separately. Follow the recipe to add the 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pan; after the couscous has simmered for b minutes, stir in the asparagus stalks. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes, then add the asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the asparagus is tender, another 2 minutes. Continue the recipe as directed,

Notes

Start to finish: 45 minutes / Servings: 4

Traditional risotto is made with starchy medium-grain Italian rice. This "risotto," modeled on a dish we had at restaurant Igra Rama in Tel Aviv, uses pearl couscous (which actually is a pasta) and a cooking technique simil to the classic risotto method to produce "grains" with a rich, creamy consistency. The wheaty flavor of pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous) is nicely complemented by the salty, nutty notes of Parmesan cheese and the grassiness of fresh parsley. Don't allow the onion to brown. The assertive bittersweet flavor of caramelized onion will easily overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.