Instant couscous versus fresh couscous

[patrickamory]

I'm going to make couscous for the first time tomorrow, as an accompaniment to the chickpea dish that will baptize my new tagine.

I realize there are threads on this, but they are very old and inconclusive. Unless the subject is buried inside a thread with a different topic title - I did search.

Is there a big advantage to making coucous properly, in a steamer (I can cobble together an approximation of a couscousiere), with non pre-cooked product, the oil, the water, and the three separate steaming procedures? Or am I fine with regular instant couscous?

Will I notice a major difference in taste or texture?

I'm a big fan of not taking shortcuts, and enjoy complicated procedures & doing things the traditional way where possible. But I'll already be doing one new thing tomorrow with the tagine, so perhaps I should just use instant couscous?

Opinions solicited please.

[SylviaLovegren]

I did the real thing once -- with the steamer and tossing the grains with my fingers, the whole nine yards.

Then I tried the instant variety and, to me, it tasted the same if not better. Maybe someone from the Magreb will come here and say I don't know what I'm talking about, but that was my experience.

New York probably has lots of different types of couscous available -- I know some of the Arab markets in Brooklyn do. Nouri's in Paterson NJ carries about 10 different kinds of instant couscous, all fun to try.

[KennethT]

I haven't made couscous the long way before, but I've tried lots of brands of the instant... the instant ones are pretty good, but I dream about the couscous at Mogador - the Moroccan place on St. Marks in the east village... I gather they make their couscous from scratch.

[andiesenji]

You can always depend on a good result with the instant couscous.

That being said, I like the traditional way better. I have a large SS couscousiere and two of the clay steamers from Clay Coyote - a small and a large and use them both.

It is better to prepare a batch of regular couscous on a day when you aren't going to serve it to anyone until you get the hang of it.

I often prepare it a day ahead of time and just re-heat it to go with the meal I have cooked.

I buy plain couscous in bulk at the local middle eastern store and prepare it the traditional way - I pour warm water over it so it is covered by about an inch of water (sometimes I use a combination of water and chicken stock) and leave it to soak for half an hour or so, until it has absorbed all the water, then break it up with a fork, add some salt and a little olive oil and put it in the steamer over boiling water for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on volume, sometimes a little longer, checking to see if it is tender at the 30 minute mark and stirring it with a fork to fluff it.

I have made couscous from scratch, using semolina flour but while my efforts were okay, I get a more consistent result with the commercial product. (I didn't sieve mine quite fine enough.)

Edited February 26, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Truc: superb results with instant when you use a two-tined fork, like a carving set fork, for fluffing. Much better than a table fork.

[patrickamory]

Thanks everyone - made instant couscous (medium Tunisian) tonight and it turned out very nicely.

It sounds like relatively few people make traditional couscous at home...

[piracer]

I can't even find non-instant couscous. I feel like you just need to be not to eager with water and you'll be fine.

[bague25]

My Moroccan neighbour told me that even in the Maghreb, almost everyone uses instant cousous. And in Europe, she said it was not even worth bothering to try the original version ...

[budrichard]

I use the large size grain couscous which used to be called 'Israeli' but is now termed 'Mediterranean' I think. I don't know if its considered regular or instant but I like the larger size better on my palate.-Dick