couscous

[hazardnc]

Yes, Elie, please tell us how you prepared the mohgrabbiya. I spoke with a man at the Middle East market here in Charlotte (I believe he is Lebanese) about how to prepare the couscous.

He told me that they cook the mohgrabbiya in the same wasy as rice - bring water to a boil, simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes and then let rest. He said you only steam mohgrabbiya if it is fresh. He said his mother makes mohgabbiya often during Lent, adding only vegetables.

I am going to try this one again

[FoodMan]

The mohgrabbiya was soaked then, cooked in the liquid. Not steamed.

Elie

[andiesenji]

I am fasting for 24 hours because of some medical tests I have to have tomorrow and my fast began at 10 this morning.

I am trying to keep busy, too restless to sit and read and nothing on TV interests me at the moment - Food TV is doing a chocolate marathon and I don't eat chocolate.

So I did some shopping, made a special stop at the middle eastern market to restock on several things.

Low on couscous, I bought several kinds to show the varieties they carry. Mostly I use the bulk type they package in store:

Here is a closeup so you can see the textures - except for the ones in the box.

The smaller covered bowl inside the large one is the steamer I got from Clay Coyote recommended by Ms. Wolfert - it is wonderful.

The dark stuff in the lower right hand corner is zaatar or zahtar, a mix of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds I use in vegetable dishes, cheese dishes and on bread.

I also bought some bottled fruit syrups, lovely moro oranges, tiny pears and a few other things they carry that I can find nowhere else for such reasonable prices. (A giant jar -24 oz- of wonderful tomato paste from Turkey that is better than any domestic product and only $1.99.)

Now I can spend the next 24 hours deciding on what I will have for dinner tomorrow evening, assuming I can eat just anything and am not limited because of ongoing tests......... I can only hope.

[v. gautam]

andiesenji,

hope your medical tests bring you welcome relief. Noticed the khaman dhokla packet; these are some of the healthiest foods one can eat, provided the toppings and final tempering are temperate!

How do you like yours? Have you tried it the 'raswali' way, accompanied by a sweet-sour tamarind sauce? Do you ever make dhokla from scratch?I have several recipes that use a range of split legumes.

Sorry, this is way off-topic, but could not resist. Both dhokla and couscous depend on steaming, to provide dishes that are high in complex carbohydrates and relatively low in fats and calories. In The Dictionary of Fermentd Foods, steamed preparations of grains and pulses get high marks for nutritional benefits; have you seen this book?

g

Edited February 14, 2005 by v. gautam (log)

[andiesenji]

I haven't seen the book.

I have not cooked these before. Mike and I were communicating (we have a bit of language difficulty) and he showed me these and a few other varieties made by the same company and convinced me I should try them.

Since he hasn't yet steered me wrong, I bought them to try.

The other package in the background is buckwheat - I buy it there because #1 it is cheaper and #2 much fresher than in other markets - I grind my own for breads and etc.

The Freekeh (green cracked wheat) is the other package behind the couscous. I mix that half and half with millet then layer it in a casserole with beans to make a vegetarian dish for some friends who visit every three months when they come through this area on sales trips.

If I am feeling particularly ambitious I will wrap the spicy mixture in grape leaves and steam, then serve with a yogurt dip.

[chefzadi]

Andie-

When do get some pictures? I'll be posting next week some that my students have made. Looking forward to yours though.

[andiesenji]

I still have some shopping to do, down here in the Valley (I am at work).

Later, probably around noon, I will be taking a run over to the Persian Palace, the local nickname of the large produce market on Vanowen in Reseda.

I should have brought my camera along so I could take picutures, the place has an amazing array of produce at fantastic prices, as well as other "ethnic" ingredients that are not easy to find.

[chefzadi]

This is the teaching kitchen at Sur La Table where I recently taught a class on Moroccan Tajines and Cousocous. It's a very well designed facility. The class sold out pretty quickly with a wait list to boot, so I am very excited about the growing public interest in North African cooking.

These are the ingredients for Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives, Lamb Tagine in the Style of Setif and of course couscous. I will be posting recipes with step by step photos throughout this week as time permits.

[zeitoun]

Thanks Chef, i'm sure many members (myself included) will be looking forward to this..

[chefzadi]

This is the brand that I prefer, simply because it is the brand that I grew up with in France. I will post later with photos of how to make the semolina couscous entirely from scratch. The blurry hand in the photos is my wife's not mine.

The quantities that my wife is preparing is one box or 500 grams. For this we use one stick of butter, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and about2-3 tablespoons of salt to taste.

The addition of butter to semolina couscous is more of an Algerian touch. Others use only olive oil. I prefer the taste and texture of buttered semolina couscous. The couscous deliciously absorbs the butter, whereas I feel that olive oil sometimes isn't as well absorbed. Of course there is the difference in flavor. The quantities I give for butter and olive oil is not a fixed rule. Please add or omit to suit your taste and diet.

This is the double steamer that we used to make this batch of couscous. I wanted to show egulleters that special equipment is not neccessary. Couscousiers cn be purchased for $!5- $100 and up, depending on the model. The one you buy should of course suit your needs and budget.

This is dry couscous straight of the box.

Add 1/2 cup of water, stir and let rest for about 30 minutes

Notice the clumping. It is normal, do not be afraid that something went wrong.

Break up the clumps with your fingers, using a circular motion. There should be no more clumps. Place couscous in the steamer for the first steaming. The couscous will not fall through the holes. The water should never touch the bottom of the insert, if it does it will produce a soggy layer. Some North African cooks cover the steamer or couscousier, I do not. Covering the pot produces a moister couscous, I prefer mine "al dente" if you will.

To be continued in about 30 minutes...

[chefzadi]

After the first steaming.

Empty the steamed couscous into a bowl. My aunt in Algeria uses a wooden bowl, so does my maman in France. In Los Angeles we are using a steel bowl. I apologize for the blurry and overall poor quality photos. We did purchase a decent camera, but it was diffiult to cook, take photos with two small children.

Drizzle 1/2 cup of cold water onto the hot couscous, add 1/3 of the butter, 1 tablespoon of EVOO and sprinkle a tablespoon of salt. Stir with your fingers in the circular motion as shown previously. My wife as asbestos hands, if you don't you can use a fork. Let cool for 30 minutes. Stir again with your fingers to seperate all the clumps. It is very important that there are no clumps.

Return to steamer for 20 minutes or so. Repeat the process above, add 1/2 cup of cold water, drizzle of olive oil, 1/3 of the butter and salt (to taste). Stir, let cool for 30 minutes, stir again (no clumps at all).

Return to steamer for another 15-20. Repeat the process above, drizzle of olive oil, no water this time, 1/3 of the butter and salt (to taste). Stir to remove all clumps.

The steaming times are approximations. Some packaged couscous is "drier" than others. Some palates prefer fluffier, mositer couscous. Others like me prefer "al dente" but still tender. Use your palate as a guide.

Serve like this. It can be individual portions or on a large platter for family style dining. The simplest way to eat couscous is with buttermilk or kefir. You can also add fresh steamed fava beans to the couscous. Or add a little sugar, cinnamon and raisins, still served with kefir or buttermilk.

Next we will be making a version of Poulet au Citron or Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives. This version we will eat with baguette bread. In Morocco a version of this dish is eaten with flat bread if I recall correctly. Algerians even in Algeria eat a lot of baguettes. There are other versions of this dish that can be eaten with couscous. With the leftover Poulet au Citron we will make Trid or poorman's B'stilla.

To be continued later today....

[chefzadi]

These are the spices we will be using. Clockwise starting at around 5:00 PM we have turmeric, fennel, saffron, cumin and coriander. This is one of my favorite spice blends. Some of you may know that in North African cookery the range of spices used is vast. Overall we use it with a gentler hand than Indian cookery and Algerians do not roast spices to intensify the flavors. Cumin is used as a top note in a lot of Algerian dishes.

On the left is a pinch of saffron and tumeric dissolving in water (about 30 minutes). On the left is a chicken. This version calls for a whole chicken to roast, I like the crispy skin this produces. Other versions joint the chicken to produce a dish that is more like a braise. I can demonstrate later how to joint a chicken the French way, which produces more uniform pieces for service.

Rub the saffron and turmeric mixture allover the chicken. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

This dish is for saffron, olive and preserved lemons lovers. It's a very fragrant dish. Quite different from the heavily tomato paste versions sold in Algerian fast food style restaurants in France.

To be continued....

P.S. what you are seeing is my wife's handwork, not mine. I wanted to show homestyle cooking more than French Cheffy cooking, which I will do later.

Edited February 28, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[chefzadi]

The star ingredient Preserved Lemons. These are a versatile preserve to have around. So easy to make, lots of salt and water. Cure for a month. It can be added so many other dishes that aren't North African that it has become a bit of a staple in French home kitchens. It can be used in a gremolata of sorts, to add a kick of lemon to even Asian style dipping sauces....

Throuroughly rinse before using. Remove the pulp and discard. Yes, with these lemons the skin is used.

[Behemoth]

I have really gotten into making couscous again. My husband claims to hate all savory foods involving fruit or honey but I took a chance and he thought it was the best thing since Nutella. (I posted a pic of one such effort in the dinner thread last friday:)

I remembered loving couscous in Morocco as a kid (once I got over the weirdness of the cuisine from my until-then-Lebanese perspecitve), but then really not understanding what there was to like about it when I had it again in "Moroccan" restaurants in the US as an adult -- and then (thanks to Paula Wolfert's book) discovering that the steaming is what makes the difference. (not having to suffer through a bellydancing routine also probably helped...)

I use a colander lined with cheesecloth, inserted over a large pot, with a large kitchen towel wrapped around the base to keep in the steam. Works very well.

That is one radiant chicken, by the way, chefzadi.

[chefzadi]

3- 4 lb whole chicken

1 preserved lemon, julienned

8 ounces green olives, soaked in several changes of water untill the brine is

removed. About 2 hours.

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tb flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 Tb cilantro, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp tomato paste

½ tsp Saffron

½ tsp turmeric

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

2 cups water or more

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree oven

2. Rub the skin with turmeric and

saffron.

3. marinade for at least an hour in the refrigerator

4. Stuff the chicken with some of the preserved lemon, garlic, onions and herbs.

5. Drizzle a little olive oil allover the outside of the chicken

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Place the chicken in a dutch oven or a roasting pan. Add 2 cups of water to the

pan.

8. Place the chicken in the oven for 1- 1 ¼ hours half, basting ever 20 minutes

with the pan juices, add more water as the sauce evaporates and rotating the

roasting pan in quarter turns. The chicken is done when the juices between the

leg and body run clear.

9. 30 minutes into roasting add the remaining herbs, garlic, tomato paste, olives

and preserved lemons.

10. Stir in herbs to the hot sauce a before service.

11. To serve, place chicken on a platter, spoon sauce on top.

I also added a bit of my spice mixture at the beginning of the roasting, and then a bit more mid way through cooking. I usually add spices in steps throughout the cooking process. I find this gives a depth of flavor, a layer of mellowed spices through long cooking and then a fresher bouquet of spices add towards the end. I sometimes do the same with herbs.

My spice mixutre

3 parts cumin

1 part fennel

1 part coriander seeds

1 pinch of saffron

1/4 part turmeric

add to taste. I have found that this spice mixture is very appealing to most people who have tried.

Photo of finished dish to follow.

[chefzadi]

I have really gotten into making couscous again. My husband claims to hate all savory foods involving fruit or honey but I took a chance and he thought it was the best thing since Nutella.    (I posted a pic of one such effort in the dinner thread last friday:)

I remembered loving couscous in Morocco as a kid (once I got over the weirdness of the cuisine from my until-then-Lebanese perspecitve), but then really not understanding what there was to like about it when I had it again in "Moroccan" restaurants in the US as an adult -- and then (thanks to Paula Wolfert's book) discovering that the steaming is what makes the difference. (not having to suffer through a bellydancing routine also probably helped...)

I use a colander lined with cheesecloth, inserted over a large pot, with a large kitchen towel wrapped around the base to keep in the steam. Works very well.

That is one radiant chicken, by the way, chefzadi.

←

It looks delicious Behemoth-

Funny how our palates change. My wife can eat Algerian food several times a week. she eats Korean food much less frequently, hardly ever even though she still loves it. I guess she just got a little "tired" of from growing up on it. On the other hand I eat Korean barbque, rice and kimchi 3-4 times a week. If I go for a month without Korean food I start to ache for it.

EDIT: the bellydancing gets on my nerves too. Jeez, we're not sultans, ya know. Some respect please.

EDIT: The chicken does take on a beautiful saffron and turmeric colour, but in that photo the "radience" of the flash is quite apparent.

Edited February 28, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[chefzadi]

These are two different versions of Poulet au Citron

Above is tajine style. It was made by my students. And it is more of the type you would find more typically in an Algerian home, especially my maman's.

Above is more of French-Algerian. Just as "authentic" made by my Korean-American wife!

A more fine dining restaurant version could be made with a game hen, trussed of course and the flavor would be just as phenomenal.

more to come....

P.S. on the olives, traditionally it's more common to used cracked green olives, but the piths are sort of annoying to me when I'm eating, slows me down too much so I used pitted olives.

[zeitoun]

That looks succulent, thanks!

In terms of ingredients or cooking method, what is the big difference between the tajine style one and the algerian one?

Edited to add: And compliments to the sous chef (your wife )

Edited February 28, 2005 by zeitoun (log)

[chefzadi]

Tajine style-

Cook on stove top.

Joint the chicken into 8 pieces, as I mentioned I prefer the French method for presentation and portion size. Rub in the saffron and turmeric mixture, season with salt and pepper, brown in a little olive oil. It is important when browning the chicken not to move the pieces around to much, really not at all. In a dutch oven saute the onions and garlic untill translucent. Add the browned chicken and enough water to cover, slowly bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Add some spice mixture (if you want), season with salt and pepper. 30 minutes into cooking add the olives, preserved lemons and tomato paste.

Total cook time is 1 1/2 hours or untill chicken is tender. Adjust for salt and pepper as you cook. Before service add the herbs.

Tastes better the next day.

EDIT: The tajine style one is Algerian as well. The class I taught was called "Moroccan tajines" because Moroccan cusine is better known in the States. We talked about the broad differences in Moroccan and Algerian cookery earlier in this thread. But I wouldn't be surprised to see both versions of the Poulet au Citron in a contemporary Moroccan or Algerian home.

Edited February 28, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[chefzadi]

Let's makes some harissa in preparation for the Lamb tajine later. Again, apologies for the quality of the photos. The disparities in color are especially noticeble in this series of photos.

This is the ground spice mixture I was talking about earlier. Fresh whole spices, ground as needed.

Ingredients for harissa. Clockwise starting at 6:00 PM sundried tomatoes (these are the oil cured kind, but no reason reconstituted dried ones can't be used, dried Japanese chilies that have been reconstituted in water (we just had them at home, so that's what we used), roasted red pepper (skinned with seeds removed) and of course garlic.

1/2 Roasted pepper

4 sundried tomatoes

1 cup whole red peppers reonstituted in water

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon spice mixture

puree in food processor, a few tablespoons of olive oil and some water as needed for a thick, dense puree.

There you go. Some of the "radiance" is from too much flash. It's pretty atomic stuff. You have been warned, so don't hate me the next morning!

The Tunisians love harissa so much, I've seen my Tunisian friends slathering harissa on bread and eating it plain. I think I would pass out from the heat.

EDIT: For this version of harissa I was inspired by Ms Wolfert. She informed me in another thread that indeed in a Tunisian version of harissa, sundried tomatoes are used. Thank you.

Edited February 28, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[Wolfert]

Chef Zadi: You have done an absolutely fabulous presentation.

. I'm only sorry I'm too far away to run over and join you all for a late lunch.

[chefzadi]

Chef Zadi: You have done an absolutely fabulous presentation.

. I'm only sorry I'm too far away to run over and join you all for a late lunch.

←

Merci! You are making me blush. Of course we would love to have you join us for lunch or dinner anytime!

[chefzadi]

Now for the Lamb Tajine-

This version is robust, earthy and rustic. with a stronger than usual hand with spices and garlic.

Washed, trimmed and cut vegetables.

This is meat from the leg.

Browned lamb. Browning the lamb improves the flavor tremendously.

Ingredients:

2 lb of boneless lamb from the shoulder or leg, cut into 2-1/2” pieces

1 lb of carrots, trimmed and cut into 2-1/2” cylinders, slice cylinders in half length wise, then quarter

1 lb of zucchini, trimmed and cut the same size and shape as carrots

1 lb turnips, trimmed and cut into wedges.

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked in water overnight or one can (we used canned this time, because we forgot to soak dried chick peas the night before)

2 medium onions, diced.

5 cloves of garlic, minced

4 Tb Tomato Paste

½ ts Saffron

Spice Blend to taste, I used 3 tablespoons this time.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Olive Oil

Harissa to taste

2 Tb flat leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped.

Method:

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan with a little Olive Oil. Do this in small batches.

2. Sautee the onions and garlic in a dutch oven with a little olive oil for a few minutes until they are translucent.

3. Add the browned lamb and chickpeas with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ½ tablespoon of the spice mixture and the tomato paste. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4. Add the remaining spice mixture, ½ tablespoon of harissa, carrots and turnips, cook for about 10-15 minutes, than add the zucchini cook for 5-10 minutes.

5. The saffron is added during the last 10 minutes of cooking. The broth should be of a soupy consistency. Sprinkle in fresh herbs at the last minute.

To serve, place the meat and vegetables decoratively on a platter, ladle a cup or so of hot broth over this arrangement. The remaining broth is served in a tureen.

Each diner should be given a dinner plate for the couscous, meat and vegetables; and a soup bowl for the broth, which is spooned onto the couscous throughout the meal. Harissa can be added to the broth to taste. Traditionally couscous if eaten with the fingers, nowadays spoons are used. Serves 6-8 depending on the number of other courses offered.

Algerian family stlye dining, a large platter of semolina couscous, platter of meat(s) and vegtables and soup tureen with broth.

Tip or truc: again I added the spices in layers throughout the cooking process for the same reasons I noted with the Poulet au Citron. I also add harissa in layers too. Slow cooking harissa in a tagine mellows out the heat and bite of peppers, adding a deep undernote of flavor, adding more towards the end adds a fresher layer with more bite. Of course harissa can be served as a table condiment for diners to add even more.

Finished dish to follow.

[chefzadi]

More of my wife's handwork. She prepared and plated these.

Individual service.

Family Style. Traditionally a round platter would be used. But this is was what we had available.

The Algerians have a French flair for presentation. That's just the way history happened.

For either style of service a soup bowl or tureen should be served with the broth seperately. Diner's typically ladle as much broth as they want onto their portions. Harissa is dissolved into the broth in the ladle. This is the Algerian way of dining. Of course a communal platter or individual plate of couscous would be served with this type of tajine.

Beef or chicken can easily be substituted for lamb. Some tajines even have a combination of all three, which is the way my maman made it for special occassions.

Next we will make Trid or Poorman's B'stilla with the leftover Poulet au Citron...

NOTE: The two plates above are actually from the same batch. My wife and I will figure out how to use our new camera one of these days.

Edited February 28, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[rjwong]

Chef Zadi: You have done an absolutely fabulous presentation.

. I'm only sorry I'm too far away to run over and join you all for a late lunch.

←

Wolfert, that 's okay. I went over for you. chefzadi had some ready for me to take home for dinner.

The couscous was quite buttery (chefzadi, you must like butter). It retained its texture, even after I spooned some broth on top. The couscous didn't become soggy or mushy to me.

The lamb tajine was wonderful. I definitely added some more harissa. I can drink the broth by itself. It's ideal when you want to recover from a cold or a flu.

chefzadi (or your wife actually), merci beaucoup!!