Sicilian Couscous Salad
If you were being pedantic, you would cook couscous in a couscoussière, a Moroccan clay pot in which you slowly steam the grains over a bubbling stew. The way I do it is rather less romantic and utterly inauthentic, but it’s quick and convenient without compromising either on the flavor or the delightful fluffy texture of the cooked grains.You could of course serve couscous plain, dressed with a little oil and lemon juice, even a smattering of aromatic spice—cinnamon, nutmeg, and so forth—to go with pretty much anything. But, inspired by the way they cook it in Sicily, I throw in salty caper berries, a good tin of oily, almost meaty tuna, and sweet aniseedy fennel. This makes for a vibrant centerpiece more than substantial enough to serve on its own.
