Risotto in disguise

I'd like to state clearly that this is not a risotto. Yes, there are onions, liquid, flavourings, a starchy small grain, a slow, stirring cooking. But it's definitely not a risotto. Not a speltotto either. This is a couscousotto. The Confined Kitchen has *layers*.

As part of #ArchivedIngredients, I discovered a pack at the back of a cupboard. Well in date, so ineligible for that contest, but I've absolutely no clue when or why I bought wholewheat giant couscous. I quite like normal giant couscous (which is really a small pasta), but I have some of that too, and this is far too far back to be an absent-minded panic buy. It looks extremely worthy.

Technically I think that tomato puree may be an Archived Ingredient, but tomato puree doesn't count, does it?

But I need variety, fibre and cupboard space. I do have a recipe, from Honey & Co's at home recipe book, which looks promising: Israeli Couscous. They don't specify wholemeal, but they say the same recipe will work with orzo or other grains needing a bit more cooking, so I reckoned it would work. It's broadly vegan (ignore the anchovies), so it's perfect for my week.

The recipe works for 500g giant couscous, described as "enough for 2, with leftovers for lunch". My pack was only 300g, and that looked like a *lot*. I didn't want infinite quantities, just two meals, so I used the quantities of flavourings below with about 150g couscous and it worked well. I think I'd increase quantities for more pasta, it wasn't over-flavoured at all. It's a forgiving recipe that I'm pretty sure could be store-cupboard-substituted without problems.

An onion
2 cloves garlic
3 anchovies
Lemon zest
3 chopped plum tomatoes
Some Giant Couscous
Squooze of tomato puree
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
1tsp sweet paprika

Cook the onion about 5 minutes, then add the above more or less in order, cooking each for 1-2 mins before the next lot: first aromatics (garlic, lemon, anchovy); then tomatoes; whack the couscous in now; then puree and spices; season.

Seething

Add plenty of boiling water to get close to covering. Bring to boil and stir well; simmer until absorbed. Add the same again and repeat. That's probably enough for ordinary giant couscous; the wholemeal took another splodge of water and cooked about as long as the packet suggested (16 mins).

I'd say it was Nice Enough as a recipe. In a truly confined kitchen, it would work fine as an option. But the recipe suggests "optional garnishes" of feta, sliced tomato, lemon, basil and/or oil. Which I substituted with a wee bit of leftover goat cheese, a couple more tomatoes (I only had cherry toms anyway); some random dill, and yes oil and a squeeze of lemon. I've got a lot of near-expired lemon halves, so that was good.

Herb distribution questionable here, but it's good stuff.

That made it a *much* more interesting dish. So it's only broadly a storecupboard recipe.  But it'll do to use up the rest of the packet at some point. Or I might use tinned tomatoes for something a bit similar but with more intense tomato content.

I love a tinned tomato risotto, after all.. Dammit.