Combination Couscous

I'll call this Combination Couscous because it combines so many various items that you wouldn't normally thing would come together. Sweet, sour, salty, savory, soft, crunchy, and everything between - but at the same time, surprisingly, nothing loses its own flavor in the mix. Everything stands out on its own, yet melds together perfectly with the corresponding ingredients. If you have any spare couscous laying around the house, I suggest you give this recipe a try.

Recipe - adapted from Bon Apetit, August 2005
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups couscous
1 cup golden raisins
1 bunch (about 8 total) green onions
3 slices pancetta
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken broth into a large pot and add the salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the couscous and raisins, then remove from heat. Allow it to sit, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the couscous. Chop the green onions into 1-inch long sections, and roughly chop the pancetta. Combine green onions, pancetta, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and mix. Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to the bowl. Pour the hot couscous on top and stir (using tongs helps to get everything mixed in well) until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

This recipe can very easily be adapted to whatever extra things you may have lying around the kitchen. Have pecans but no sunflower seeds? No problem. Don't want to make a trip to the store for pancetta? Don't worry about it. I still have some leftover couscous, and I'm planning on cleaning out my cupboard a bit with the help of this recipe.