King Kong Couscous

Psst…I’m giving you a sneak peek today. Coming up early next week on the blog is a shrimp showdown! I don’t want to give away too many details, but you’ll want to stay tuned for that post for sure. I’ve been having fun in the kitchen learning how to devein shrimp and cooking up a storm. Who knew it was so easy…with the right tools {hint, hint}. When it comes to shrimp, there’s one dish that always pops into my head. King Kong Couscous. It’s on the menu at East Nashville’s Silly Goose and it’s life-changing good. It’s made several appearances in my dreams and I practically jumped up and down when I found the recipe for it in a new cookbook! I can’t believe they gave this recipe away…but I’m sure glad they did!

So, how’s it taste?

I don’t even know where to start. I get giddy all over again just thinking about how delicious it is! There are different flavors all over this dish and they come together beautifully. Couscous is the base and it’s seasoned with coriander, cumin, fresh ginger, and sesame oil. Then fresh mint, cashews, chunks of avocado, and sesame seeds are sprinkled throughout.

The couscous by itself rocks my world. It’s fresh, it’s light, it makes me want to dance around the kitchen. But oh it doesn’t stop there. Next is shrimp. Big, juicy shrimp that gets coated in a mixture of coconut milk and red curry paste, then sprinkled with more coriander and cumin. Swoon!

Save some of that creamy, spicy coconut milk mixture to serve with the couscous and add a dash of sriracha! I mean can this dish get any more drool-worthy?! If you’re in Nashville, make sure you stop by the Silly Goose and order this. Plus the rest of their menu is pretty spectacular. If you can’t get to Nashville anytime soon, make this at home and thank me later. Now that it’s officially Spring, this deserves to be on your plate!

Be sure to stay tuned to next week’s post! I’ll reveal more on the shrimp showdown, share with you the awesome tools that I’ve been using to make this (and another!) fab shrimp dish, plus there may be a little something something in it for you, too. 🙂

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Yield: 4-6 servings

King Kong Couscous

Ingredients:

Couscous
4 cups cooked couscous
1 1/2 cups diced avocado
1 cup roasted & salted cashew pieces
2 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped mint
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger (as fine as possible)
salt, to taste

Shrimp
1/4 cup red curry paste
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. kosher salt

sesame seeds and cashews, for garnish
sriracha, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all the couscous ingredients until well combined.

2. Mix the curry paste and coconut with a whisk until well combined. Set aside.

3. Toss the shrimp with enough coconut curry mixture to coat, and season on both sides with the cumin, coriander, and salt. Grill or broil the shrimp until done, 3-4 minutes.

4. To serve, divide couscous mixture onto serving plates and arrange the shrimp around or on top of each plate. Garnish with remaining coconut curry, sesame seeds, cashews, and sriracha for spice.

Source: Nashville Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Music City
by Stephanie Stewart-Howard
on the menu at Silly Goose