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Cherry and Hazelnut Couscous
Delicious made when the cherries are at their juiciest, this simple, luscious summer salad makes an excellent accompaniment to slices of cold ham, chicken or grilled halloumi. Very little cooking is required – you only need to toast the hazelnuts and boil the kettle for the couscous. Try to find a nice selection of differently flavoured wild leaves: the slightly bitter, fragrant leaves of oxeye daisies and the sharp citrus flavour of wood sorrel are particularly good if you can find them.
Serves : 4
Prep : 15 minutes
Cook :
- 200g medium couscous
- 500g cherries, rinsed and drained
- 30g shelled cobnuts or filberts
- 50g mint leaves, picked and chopped
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 handfuls small, young wild leaves, such as wood sorrel, oxeye daisy, dandelion, hairy bittercress, chickweed, lady’s smock, borage, vetch or wall pennywort, washed and drained
Method
- Put the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Pour over 200ml boiling water and leave to stand for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cherries. Pull away their stalks, remove their stones using a cherry pitter and cut each one in half, reserving any juices that escape (alternatively, halve each cherry and pick out the stones).
- Chop the cobnuts or filberts into large chunks and toast them in a dry frying pan over a low heat until they turn light golden. Tip them onto a plate to cool.
- The couscous should by now have absorbed all of the water. Tip it into a serving dish and use your fingers to break up the lumps. Add the mint, spring onions, olive oil, lemon juice, cherries and their juices, and some seasoning and toss well.
- Add the washed wild leaves and toss again before serving.
Credits
Recipe and photos by Otherwise for Wild Food UK
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