Giant Couscous Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms
Total Prep and Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes plus 10 minutes soaking
Active Time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 4 as a Main Course
This dish can also be made with Wholewheat Giant Couscous or Orzo.
Ingredients:
- 25g Merchant Gourmet Dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 750ml water
- 300g Merchant Gourmet Giant Couscous
- 2 large or 4 small cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 100g grated mature cheddar cheese
- 50g butter, plus a little knob for the mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 250g large field mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small bunch of fresh chives, snipped or sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to cook it:
- Boil your kettle. Put the Porcini into a measuring jug, pour 750ml of boiling water over the top and then leave to soak for ten minutes
- After ten minutes, lift the Porcini out then chop them into small pieces
- Put the garlic into a medium saucepan then pour the clear stock gently over the top. Discard the last few tablespoons where it becomes murky
- Put the pan onto a high heat then bring to the boil
- Add the chopped Porcini and Giant Couscous, bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 7-8 minutes until tender, adding a little more hot water if the Couscous starts to become too dry
- Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese, butter and half of the chives, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, put a lid on then leave to sit for 2-5 minutes
- While the couscous sits, heat a large frying pan with the vegetable oil, add the sliced mushrooms then sauté for 2 minutes, add the butter, sauté for 10 seconds more then add the second half of the chives and season
- Serve the Giant Couscous with the mushrooms on top
KIDS CORNER
This is a great favourite with my family, just perfect for cold days. The Porcini Mushrooms present no problem for kids as they are finely chopped. When serving younger children the large mushrooms would be better chopped up and mixed in with the Giant Couscous. I do versions of this with chopped carrots, peas, courgettes or parsnips added, it is a delicious to serve mixtures of seasonal vegetables.
I wish we’d had the Giant Couscous when we were weaning the boys, particularly the Wholewheat, as it is so quick to cook when compared with wholemeal rice and more gently flavoured. I would not recommend pureeing the cooked Couscous for babies as it will just become very gluey.
