Couscous with shrimp and cherry tomatoes is a quick and flavorful dish that allows you to serve something different from the usual.
Couscous originates from North Africa, specifically Morocco, where it is traditionally consumed as an accompaniment to grilled meats and baked vegetables.
In Italy, it is instead a typical dish of western Sicily, particularly the Trapani area, where it is generally seasoned with fish soup broth, and southwestern Sardinia, although it is now known worldwide.
Couscous consists of small grains of steamed wheat semolina; today, its production is almost entirely industrial and is marketed already precooked.
Once, women would gather to prepare couscous together, which was very laborious and took several days.
It was produced in large quantities and preserved for several months, although it had a complex cooking method with possibly prolonged times.
It is indeed worth knowing this dish, which can be served not only as a main course but also among appetizers at a buffet or during a dinner aperitif.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 596.57 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.43 (g) of which sugars 17.61 (g)
- Proteins 45.73 (g)
- Fat 31.54 (g) of which saturated 4.87 (g)of which unsaturated 0.51 (g)
- Fibers 2.61 (g)
- Sodium 822.69 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 312 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 20 large shrimp (with heads, defrosted is fine)
- 1/4 cup onion (fresh)
- 10.5 oz cherry tomatoes
- 5 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 10 oz cooked couscous (precooked)
- to taste nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup golden onion
- 1.8 oz carrot
- 0.7 oz celery
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper (in grains)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pot
- Sieve
- Pan – non-stick diameter 12 inches
Steps
Prepare the couscous with shrimp and cherry tomatoes by cleaning the shrimp first.
Set aside eight whole (or even 4) shrimp to decorate the finished dish and serve two (or one) per diner.
For the others, remove the head keeping it aside, then remove the vein and shell leaving the tail attached.
Then prepare a broth by putting a small pot on the stove with about 3 1/3 cups of water, a small onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, a handful of whole black pepper and the shrimp heads.
Press the heads well in the pot to release their juices.
Let simmer over low heat for about half an hour from boiling.
The resulting broth should be well strained.
Clean the tomatoes by cutting them into four parts and removing the seeds.
Slice the fresh onion into thin rings and place it in a large non-stick pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Lightly brown and then add the shrimp with the tails attached and the whole ones. Let them flavor and then deglaze with white wine.
Wait for the wine to evaporate over high heat, turning occasionally, then add the cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, and about 2/3 cup of strained broth.
Cover and cook over low heat for about ten minutes.
Separately, bring the remaining broth back to a boil, diluting it with a little water if it has reduced too much, to have the amount of liquid required by the package to rehydrate the precooked couscous (usually 2/3 cup of water for every 2.5 oz of couscous; for four people, 1 1/3 cup will be needed). Once boiling, salt it.
Turn off the heat, pour the boiling broth into a salad bowl adding 4 tablespoons of oil and the couscous, cover with plastic wrap for five minutes.
From the ready sauce, remove the shrimp with the head and set aside some spoonfuls of the sauce.
In the rest of the sauce, pour the couscous previously fluffed with a fork and mix.
Serve by placing the couscous on a flat plate, create a central cavity, and add the set aside sauce.
Decorate with the whole shrimp and with the green part of the fresh onion cut into small pieces.
Add a dash of raw olive oil and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve hot. Those who like can sprinkle the dish with grated Parmesan or Grana cheese.
The couscous with shrimp and cherry tomatoes is thus ready.
It is advisable to consume the dish as soon as it is ready. If necessary, it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for one day.
It is advisable to consume the dish as soon as it is ready. If necessary, it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for one day.
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