Driving home recently I passed a restaurant my husband and I have enjoyed over the years. I reminisced “the special dish” I often ordered; a perfectly cooked fried egg (white: hard — yolk: runny) that lay in the center of a mound of steamy white rice served with a side of fiery, spicy red sauce. The trio was an unusual complementing combination of flavors and textures I’ve often thought of duplicating.
A comforting, fiery-tasting dish was just the kind of food I longed to eat after jury duty. Upon returning home I decided to create a version of “the special dish” using foods commonly served in Morocco. Couscous is a staple in Moroccan cuisine. To give my creation an authentic Moroccan flavor, I whipped together a recipe for Harissa, one of Morocco’s most popular sauces.
Poached eggs over couscous with Harissa
Harissa is very spicy; use it sparingly until you become familiar with its aftereffects. The sauce can be prepared in advance and will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. If you don’t fancy eggs for dinner, they can successfully be substituted; chicken, sautéed tofu, steamed shrimp or lamb are equally delicious.
Harissa Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, lime juice and salt, and whisk until mixture is emulsified. The olive oil naturally separates from the other ingredients, so whisk sauce just before serving.
One 10-ounce package plaincouscous
1/3 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 eggs
Black olives, chopped (for garnish)
Roasted red peppers, chopped (for garnish)
Cook couscous according to package directions. Add parsley, and fluff couscous incorporating parsley. Cover and keep warm. Fill a large pot with water, and add apple cider vinegar. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to medium (water should be dancing). One by one break the eggs into a small cup and gently slide each egg into water, working quickly, until all eggs are added. Cook eggs for about 3 to 5 minutes — white part should be firm, yokes soft or springy to touch. Just before eggs have finished cooking, divide couscous among six rimmed serving dishes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, drain off any excess water and place them on top of couscous. Garnish with chopped black olives and roasted red peppers. Serve Harissa sauce on the side.
Nutritional analysis: 234 calories, 5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 211 mgs cholesterol, 79 mgs sodium, 34 grams total carbohydrate, 2 grams dietary fiber, 12 grams protein, 1 gram sugar.
Catch Kerry Dunnington’s column biweekly in Healthy Life.
She can be reached at [email protected].
