Globe courgettes stuffed with giant cous cous, feta and sundried tomatoes

Pin It

A simple and rustic dish, good as a side or lunchtime main. The last time I posted a recipe using the spherical courgette they weren't readily available (I snuck mine in from France) but this time I acquired them far more easily, at good old Sainsburys. 

They take various fillings, but we're soon to move house and are trying to use up as many dry ingredients as possible, and today it was the turn of the giant cous cous.

The super fat grain sits nicely inside the roasted flesh, bound with sundried tomatoes and crumbled feta, and they're just as nice hot as they are cold. 

5 courgettes - 1 each as a side or for 2 as a main
5 globe courgettes, their lids cut off
1 red onion, finely diced
150g giant cous cous
80g sundried tomatoes
Half a block of feta, crumbled
Juice of one lemon 
A large glass of white wine
400mls vegetable or chicken stock 
A handful crushed pistachos 
Unsalted butter and olive oil for cooking, and extra virgin for drizzling

Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
- Either using a melon baller or a teaspoon, spoon out the flesh from inside the courgettes, and roughly chop it up
- Lightly oil the outsides of the courgettes and their lids with a little oil, place into a non stick or oiled roasting tin, cover and bake for 40 minutes
- Whilst that is happening, fry the onion in a knob of butter and oil until soft on a medium heat, add the chopped courgette centres and cook for around 15 minutes, keeping turning them until they turn dark - this may take a little while as they are mainly water, but keep going because it will evaporate eventually
- Once this has happened, add the cous cous and continue to cook for a few minutes, then add the wine, stock and tomatoes, cook on a medium heat until all the water has evaporated and the cous cous has cooked through - if you try it and it's still not ready just add a little more water at a time until it is (like with cooking a risotto - little and often)
-  When the grains are ready remove them from the heat, add the lemon juice and pistachios and a glug of the extra virgin olive oil, and leave to cool a little
- When the courgettes have been in 45 minutes, remove their cover and cook for another 15 minutes to get them to dry out a little bit more and start to gently brown
- By the time they come out, the grains should almost be cooled, now it's time to add the feta and stir through
- Now spoon the cous cous into the hollowed courgettes, pop the lids back on them and bake them for 20 minutes to warm through, or 30 if you want them super hot
- Eat with a little salad and glass of white