Couscous Cakes With Tomato-Garlic Ragout - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 2/3 cups couscous
3 eggs
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled (such as Danish blue or Wisconsin Gorgonzola)
Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
10 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying)

Preparation

Put the water into a saucepan over high heat.
When the water comes to a boil, add the salt, pepper, and couscous.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Fluff the couscous by lightly running a fork or whisk back and forth in the pan, starting with the top layer and gradually working your way down.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs; slowly whisk in the flour.
With a spoon, stir in the parsley and the blue cheese.
Add the couscous and chill the batter for 30 minutes.
SAUCE:
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil; add the onion.
Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and saute for 5 minutes more.
Add the tomatoes, white wine, and water.
Let the ragout simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it has the consistency of a thick sauce.
Season it with salt and pepper and keep it warm.
When the couscous mixture has cooled, heat a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, drop couscous batter onto the skillet to form 3-inch cakes.
Sear them on one side for about 3 minutes, or until the undersides are golden brown.
Flip them with a spatula and sear them on the other side, for about 3 minutes.
Remove the cakes to a plate and add more batter to the pan.
Continue making cakes until all the couscous batter is used.
You should have 3 cakes per person.
Serve the cakes hot on top of the warmed tomato-garlic ragout.