By the Book: Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Couscous with Dried Apricots and Butternut Squash

  I’m a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks Jerusalem and Plenty, so I was eager to get my hands on his latest, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. This one contains recipes culled from Ottolenghi’s four London restaurants, with dishes that reflect his upbringing in Jerusalem and incorporate culinary traditions from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Ottolenghi: The Cookbook is divided into four sections: vegetables, legumes and grains; meat and fish; baking and patisserie; and larder. Constant among all 140 recipes are fresh ingredients that beget bright, harmonious flavors via preparations doable by the home cook. By the time I finished browsing the book, the pages were cluttered with yellow sticky notes marking tasty-sounding recipes like Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt or Turkey and Corn Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Sauce. Oh, the choices! When I think about traditional dishes from Ottolenghi’s native Israel, couscous comes to mind. Couscous can be a billowy bed for ingredients savory or sweet – or both, the last being the camp for Ottolenghi’s couscous with dried apricots and butternut squash.     It’s high season for squash. The sweet scent of baked butternut squash is one of my favorite autumn kitchen smells. Butternut squash is a joy to cook with since its bright orange hue barely changes despite the heat that transforms dense flesh into a toothsome softness.     Couscous tastes immensely richer when cooked in chicken or vegetable stock. Using the latter, you can keep this dish vegetarian, but I prefer chicken stock, which lends a silky quality to those tiny pearls of rolled semolina dough. Add the prescribed saffron threads and upgrade to luxe status. I’ve been taught to never, ever uncover couscous after pouring it into boiling water. Just like rice, if you peek, the steam escapes and you don’t get nearly as much fluff.     While butternut squash and chicken stock pack flavor punches, the minor components are what impart such depth of delicate flavor and striking color in this otherwise simple grain dish. There are onion slivers, sweet and mellowed by heat; dried apricots, plump from a hot water bath; the citrus zing of lemon zest; and the lovely green contrast from a handful of fresh herbs. Simple. Straightforward. Delicious. One Ottolenghi recipe down and 139 other tabbed recipes to go. Couscous with Dried Apricots and Butternut Squash 4 servings 1 large onion, thinly sliced 6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided Scant ½ cup dried apricots 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch dice 1½ cups uncooked couscous 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock Pinch of saffron threads 3 Tbsp. tarragon, coarsely chopped 3 Tbsp. mint coarsely chopped 3 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon Grated zest of ½ lemon Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the onion in a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and a pinch of salt. Saute over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside. • Meanwhile, pour enough hot water from the tap over the apricots just to cover them. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain and cut into 1/4-inch dice. • Mix the diced squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread the squash out on a baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly colored and quite soft. • While waiting for the butternut squash, cook the couscous. Bring the stock to a boil with the saffron. Place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour the boiling stock over it, plus the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for about 10 minutes; all the liquid should be absorbed. • Use a fork or a whisk to fluff up the couscous, then add the onion, butternut squash, apricots, herb, cinnamon and lemon zest. Mix well with your hands, trying not to mash the butternut squash. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warmish or cold.