Couscous Blanc

Oh, the mighty artichoke. I love you, artichoke, but you stress me out. Thank goodness Julia Child takes you step-by-step—she's a life saver. This is my third attempt at cooking artichokes.  Yes, I'm still intimidated. Yes, they are time-consuming. However, you feel proud of yourself when you are done. And, come on, who doesn't love a fresh artichoke? I'm home alone. This means more artichoke for me (and I can pig out all by myself). 

Oh yeah. That's happening. 

And sorry, I'm not going to tell you how to cook artichokes because there are many others that could explain the process FAR BETTER than I. You should see my kitchen—it's a complete mess. I am obviously not a pro. The only advice I can give you is: Be prepared to work. Leave time for yourself, be patient, and try to enjoy the experience. 

Coincidentally, most of the items I set out to cook with tonight were "white" in color: White mushrooms, white beans, white wine. Thus, "Couscous Blanc" was created. The wine I had on hand was Spanish (shocking, I know), and I was referencing Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The result was a mediterranean-inspired dish combining Spanish and French cuisines. 

After my meal, I wrote some notes. I liked what I made, but it needs some work. Or maybe just more salt. Next time, I am going to add more oil and: 1.) finish with fresh squeezed lemon juice or 2.) add a some cheese (crumbled chèvre or shavings of queso de cabra borracha). Perhaps both. 

MATERIALS
1 cup of pre-soaked, pre-cooked white beans

2 globe artichokes

2 glasses of white wine (I used a 2011 Garnacha Blanca)

5 garlic cloves (2 whole, 3 sliced)

1 Tbsp of each dried herb: thyme, basil, sage

1/2 of a medium-sized onion

1 pinch of saffron

8 oz. organic white mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

3 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

1 cup couscous (I used Red Mill brand)

olive oil (don't be shy)

sea salt (don't be shy)

cracked black peper

INSTRUCTIONS
Steam the trimmed and cored artichokes with 2 inches of salted water and 1 glass of white wine. Add 2 whole cloves of garlic and a bay leaf for aromatics. Steam for 40 minutes. Personally, I felt that this was too long of a time. Try 25 and check for doneness. 

While the artichokes are cooking, sauté the onion with a pinch of sea salt in olive oil. Once this is caramelized, add your garlic and the other glass of white wine. Let this simmer and cook down. When most of the alcohol has burned off, add your herbs, saffron, and mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have let out some of their juices, turn off the heat. Add the beans, cover with a lid, and let the mixture rest.

Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the artichoke cooking water. Keep the aromatics in the water. Heat this back up to a boil and add your couscous. Take off off the heat, cover with a lid, and wait 5 minutes. When the couscous has absorbed all of the liquid, remove the bay leaf. Add the mushroom mixture to the couscous. Test for salt and add freshly ground black (or white) pepper. Sprinkle with the fresh, chopped parsley, and stir.  Let the leaves wilt with the steam of the dish. Serve.