Spanish or Portuguese couscous dishes

[chefzadi]

I know in Sicily couscous is still prepared and there is even an International festival.

I'm invovled in a discussion about Brazilian cuzcuz elsewhere with a Brazilian woman who tells me that cuzcuz in Brazil is mainly consumed during the Junine Feast. She tells me that there are Portuguese, African and Italian recipes.

[vserna]

There's lots of couscous in Spain, Farid. But it's basically returned recently, after having been forgotten for many centuries (possibly since the final Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula in 1492 or at least since the total assimilation of the Morisco populations in the 16th/17th centuries). The vehicles for its return have been, of course, the numerous North African restaurants which now dot the country. It's quite obvious that the traditional Spanish spelling, 'alcuzcuz', had been largely forgotten, because now it's always the French 'couscous' that appears on menus and in most cookbooks.

In turn many Spanish and European chefs working in Spain are making couscous dishes now. For instance, I recall the brilliant couscous 'of the sea' with red mullet filets made by Frédéric Fétiveau in Madrid's North African-inspired Medina restaurant. Abraham García at Viridiana also makes couscous frequently. Madrid is quite a couscous hot spot, since this city concentrates a large majority of Spain's Arab restaurants, one of which, Al-Mounia, is a truly great place with ethereally light couscous.

According to food historians in Spain, when couscous arrived in this country in the 12th century, duiring the Muslim colonization of al-Andalus, one of the most frequent forms under which it was served was with a whole lamb, which was skinned and split down the belly. Once cleaned, it was stuffed with a mixture of couscous with butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and the fragrant oil of the nard flower. Then the belly was sewn tight, and the lamb was oven-roasted. It was served on a plate after being cut into pieces and sprinkled with more cinnamon.

Another Medieval al-Andalus couscous recipe, much more similar to current ones, started with a juicy meat-and-vegetables stew, to which the semolina was added at the end. Once the couscous was drenched and thick with the stew's juices, it was all served on a plate with the couscous at the bottom, the cinnamon-sprinkled meats on top and the vegetables around it. The juice was kept in a separate recipient for each diner to add to his or her taste, as we do today.

[chefzadi]

Vserna-

I was hoping you would answer. As expected your answer is thorough and insightful.

As you know the Spanish returned the 'favor' by conquering a few Algerian ports, most notably Oran. The city still has a Spanish flavor and I have wonderful memories of my time there.

[Corinna Dunne]

I had a particularly good couscous dish at El Cellar de Can Roca a few months ago. I've pasted in my comments from the Can Roca thread below:

Next up was red mullet with cus cus of his liver. Another extraordinary dish; the skin of the fish was heavily salted and crisped, which contrasted beautifully with the soft, almost caviar like quality of the wonderfully flavoured cus cus. This was served with an orange oil and some samphire. It was paired with a grenache blanc Rioja.

It was truly wonderful. I remember it vividly.

Edited July 11, 2005 by Corinna Dunne (log)

[Adam Balic]

On a more homely note I have a copy of This book from Sanlucar. It seems to be produced by a local association of ladies that determined to publish some of the dishes made in Sanlucar.

In it is a recipe for alcuzcuz, which looks like a very typical couscous with seven vegetables, but with the addtion of Manzanilla.

[chefzadi]

On a more homely note I have a copy of This book from Sanlucar. It seems to be produced by a local association of ladies that determined to publish some of the dishes made in Sanlucar.

In it is a recipe for alcuzcuz, which looks like a very typical couscous with seven vegetables, but with the addtion of Manzanilla.

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Is this recipe for alcuzcuz reported as being continguous from Moorish times? Or is it a more recent rediscovery?

[vserna]

All of these recipes are either North African or refer to historic al-Andalus recipes of the 12th and 13th century. There are no popular, regional, home-cookery alcuzcuz recipes in Andalusian homes today.

http://www.kike.c.telefonica.net/endosan/alcuzcuz.htm

[Adam Balic]

On a more homely note I have a copy of This book from Sanlucar. It seems to be produced by a local association of ladies that determined to publish some of the dishes made in Sanlucar.

In it is a recipe for alcuzcuz, which looks like a very typical couscous with seven vegetables, but with the addtion of Manzanilla.

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Is this recipe for alcuzcuz reported as being continguous from Moorish times? Or is it a more recent rediscovery?

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Sorry I have been in France for the week.

Judging from the book, the dish is simply 'what people make at home' and reflects personal preferences, rather then reflecting absolutely historical or local cooking. As Sanlucar is a port town with a long history and an extant fishing fleet, it would be nice to think that there was an local exchange of food items/traditions with North Africa (there are two Spanish ports in North Africa?), but I didn't see any evidence of this and it is difficult to know exactly were the lady that wrote down the couscous recipe got the recipe from. As vserna indicates, from the recipe it seems to me that it is more likely to be an recent addaption, then a historical recipe. But, it is difficult to know the good ladies of Sanlucar could be cooking couscous every friday night with their excellent fish and sherry and I would never know if it didn't appear in a restuarant menu.

[vserna]

But, it is difficult to know the good ladies of Sanlucar could be cooking couscous every friday night with their excellent fish and sherry and I would never know if it didn't appear in a restuarant menu.

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Don't fret, Adam: I can assure you 100% that, save the occasional and exceptional foodie, the good housewives of Sanlúcar de Barrameda do not cook couscous at home.

[Adam Balic]

Well that is good to know . Interesting that it got into a book of 'local cooking', I noticed that the same book has a recpe for carrot cake with cream cheese icing... I guess this indicates that even if I would like to think that every household kitchen is a monument to traditional cooking, this reflects my naivety then the reality.

[Bux]

My guess is that every time a local group of housewives (where they still exist) gets together to publish their recipes, there will always be a few that have to show off just how modern, well read or well traveled they are.

I will note that when I've been down to Puerto Rico visiting in-laws, I'm often taken or directed to restaurants featuring local food, but when it's time for home cooking, I'm surprised to see how much of the meal resembles what I'd expect in middle America.

[chefzadi]

My guess is that every time a local group of housewives (where they still exist) gets together to publish their recipes, there will always be a few that have to show off just how modern, well read or well traveled they are.

Hence an old name "alcuzcuz" rather than the French spelling couscous. It seems the housewives did at least some historical reading.

Btw, cuzcuz is found in Brazil. I've been told that there are Portuguese, Levant Arab and Black African preparations among others. I've only seen photos and read a few recipes. Some of the preparations are really elaborate, the ingredients are layered in a decorative bowl and then unmolded.

[Adam Balic]

I forgot to add that I had couscous as a Tapas option in Jerez. And so the unstoppable march of couscous conitunes. As a friend said "It's brilliant. You don't have to spend all that time cooking like with rice or pasta".