No quinoa. Papa doesn’t like quinoa. He doesn’t like it, he explained, and he’s never tried it.
“It’s like couscous,” protested Hannah.
“If it were like couscous,” Papa explained, “I’d like it.”
Hannah, collegiate savvy, said Papa should try quinoa while listening to “Hamilton.” Papa doesn’t like “Hamilton.” He hasn’t seen it; he’s “not for” all that rapid-fire rap.
He has a better idea: “Fiddler on the Roof.” “Have you seen it?” he asks Hannah. In high school, she played Fruma Sarah. “Well,” he announces, “then you haven’t seen it!”
It’s settled. He’ll take her to “Fiddler.” She’ll download him “Hamilton.”
Then grandfather and granddaughter will go out. No quinoa. Maybe couscous.
Summer Couscous
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
For tomatoes:
1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
For couscous:
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
For tuna:
1 boneless skinless tuna steak (1 1/4 pounds), about 1-inch thick, see note
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
Toss: Heap all tomato ingredients in a large bowl. Toss. Cover. Let rest.
Steam: To make couscous, heat oil in a small saucepan. Add onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion wilts, about 4 minutes. Add water; bring to a boil. Pour in couscous. Stir once, cover, pull pan off heat. Let stand, 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
Season: Brush tuna with oil. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
Grill: Spark a hot fire, or heat the oven broiler. Grill tuna directly over medium-hot flames or broil 6 inches under the boiler until just done, about 4 minutes per side. Pull tuna off heat and cut into bite-size pieces.
Serve: Tumble couscous and tuna over tomatoes. Toss. Enjoy.
Note: Yes, you can skip grilling the tuna and simply crumble into the finished dish two 5-ounce cans of tuna packed in oil and the thyme leaves. It’s a different dish — also delicious.
Provenance: This has been my favorite couscous recipe, possibly my favorite summer recipe, since Pierre Franey cooked up his version in 1988.
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