This flavorful dish not only makes a fabulous midweek meal for four but can be easily multiplied to accommodate more. The quick cooking couscous turns this simple recipe into a one pot wonder with a fusion of flavors.
Shrimp and tomato couscous starts with ‘shrimp stock’. It’s a great way to make sure you get the most out of your shrimp by extracting all the flavor from the shells which then acts as a nice flavor base for your couscous.
Couscous has become one of my favorite pantry staples. It’s quick, convenient, versatile and makes a good alternative to traditional rice or pasta.
There are actually three different kinds of couscous:
Pearl (Israeli) couscous, which resembles tiny pasta shaped like pearls.
Lebanese couscous, also called Moghrabieh, is sold fresh or dried and is the largest in size, similar to a pea. It’s often boiled, drained, and then mixed with oils and spices or added to meats as a tasty starch in hearty stews and braises.
Then, there is the smallest size couscous made of fine granules of durum wheat. This one is associated more with Moroccan cooking.
Couscous used to be hand rolled into tiny pasta. It is now available in instant- cook packages or bulk, where couscous has already been pre-cooked by steaming and then dried. This leaves us with the simple task of re-hydrating in broth.
I guess in some ways this meal kind of mimic’s paella. One thing for sure is that its hearty & very flavorful!
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- 680 gm WILD, large shrimp, peeled & deveined (shells reserved) & patted dry
- 2-236 ml bottles clam juice
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- salt & pepper
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 443 ml diced & seasoned tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Lebanese couscous
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- parmesan cheese, grated for garnish if desired
- green onion, sliced for garnish if desired
Ingredients
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- In a medium stockpot, combine the shrimp shells, clam juice, broth, bay leaves & peppercorns. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for four to five minutes, until the shrimp shells are nice & pink. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl; discard the solids in the strainer.
- Season the shrimp with salt & pepper. In a large pot over medium-high (you could re-use the stockpot here), heat one tablespoon of the oil. Add half the shrimp & cook without stirring until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining shrimp.
- Return the pot to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Add the onion, carrot, garlic & 1/2 tsp of salt then cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes & couscous. Stir in 2 cups of the shrimp broth. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to medium and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in another cup or so of the broth, return to a simmer and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is again absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining cup of broth and cook, stirring constantly, until the couscous is tender.
- Turn off heat, stir in the shrimp & juices, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice & parsley. Cover & let stand until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste & season with salt & pepper. Garnish with some grated parmesan cheese or sliced green onion if desired.
