Recipe Friday: Marcus Samuelsson’s Mango Couscous

Today’s recipe Friday is Mango Couscous from Discovery of a Continent: Foods, Flavors, and Inspirations from Africa by Marcus Samuelsson.

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 ripe tomato, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro sprigs
1/4 cup chopped parsley sprigs
Salt

Prepare the couscous according to package directions. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the garlic, mango, and chili – saute until the mango begins to color lightly. Stir in remaining tablespoon of olive oil, couscous, raisins, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, parsley, and toss to heat through. Season with salt. (4 servings)

Our final result.

North African cuisine is an interesting mix of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors, and couscous is the grain of choice. This was our first foray into a sweet couscous dish, though truth be told this recipe is not that “out there.” The recipe was easy as pie, and the flavor profile was actually very interesting. We were also happy we got to use our shiny new wok again. True, woks are not remotely North African – but they work well when making a big dish like this (especially since there turned out to be WAY more couscous than we expected). I was initially worried the mango would taste out of place – but it was a natural accompaniment to the tomatoes and mixed surprisingly well with the garlic and cilantro. We added chicken to the dish to add to make a heartier dinner. The recipe said it served four, but it served the two hungry Eaters, with a little to spare. In the end, we were very pleased with our result, and are excited to make more recipes from the book. Next stop – berbere!