Couscous

[Suvir Saran]

I am somewhat known for my Moroccan cooking. I love making all the many Mezza (appetizer like) dishes. Tagines and stews. Even the soups.

But when it comes to couscous making, I am always nervous.

Are there any tricks I need to learn?

Recipes that work well?

Is there an absolute need to by a couscoussier? I have so many different pans and appliances that I feel if I can avoid buying another big pan, I am happier. But if this is a necessity, I will absolutely go get one.

What do you all think??

[oliva]

I just add a cup of hot boiling chicken stock (or store bought chicken broth)to a cup of couscous and cover the container for 10-15 minutes. It is simple really. I won't spend unnecessary money on a couscoussier.

I have many variations- my favourite is to add slow roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, chick peas, pignolia nuts and spinkle with hot Hungarian Paprika before serving.

[Brad S]

With all due respect, I think theres more to making a great cous-cous than just adding hot stock,cover and wait. There are "Brands" of cous-cous with these directions but these are only for convenience and IMHO bare no resemblment to the true deal.

I do not have a couscousiere,but I make a sudo one by making my tagine or stew in a pot and fit it with a fine perferated pan to cook the cous cous on top.

I do not make my own cous cous from scratch, I usaually buy Israely or Moraccan cous cous.

I have a couple of nice recipes to share if anyone is interested.

I can't wait for pumpkins to be around because one of the earliest vegetable cous couses by the berbers is a pumpkin cous cous all decked out with great spices and aromatics

[johnjohn]

I use the instant couscous - yes, it's not as good as you get in a Moroccan restaurant that has been prepared the traditional way with a couscousiere, but it is a quick and easy side for during the week.

For the amount of liquid that the box calls for - I use half water and half chicken broth. I add toasted almond slivers, dried cranberries, orange zest and parsley. It's real tasty.

johnjohn

[Suvir Saran]

With all due respect, I think theres more to making a great cous-cous than just adding hot stock,cover and wait. There are "Brands" of cous-cous with these directions but these are only for convenience and IMHO bare no resemblment to the true deal.

I do not have a couscousiere,but I make a sudo one by making my tagine or stew in a pot and fit it with a fine perferated pan to cook the cous cous on top.

I do not make my own cous cous from scratch, I usaually buy Israely or Moraccan cous cous.

I have a couple of nice recipes to share if anyone is interested.

I can't wait for pumpkins to be around because one of the earliest vegetable cous couses by the berbers is a pumpkin cous cous all decked out with great spices and aromatics

Thanks for pointing this out. I have always made the recipe from these boxes. They do nothing for me. The couscous is nothing like what I ate in my travels.

Your recipes would be a treat. When you can take writing more... please share. Do not want to add to your burden... I know you are recuperating from surgery. Thanks for even offering.

[Brad S]

Suvir,Thank you for your confidence.

I type slow..so bear with me. I rubbed my tagine pot like a genies home for good luck before I post this recipe.

1/2 cup dried chci peas

4 cups cous cous

1 1/2 # lamb neck,cut into 5 or 6 pieces

4 spanish onions (large ones)

Salt

2 teaspoons fresh milled black pepper

1 teaspoon minced ginger root

2 pinched saffron threads (about a 1/4 teaspoon rubbed in your fingers)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup sweet butter

1 #carrotes

11/2 # pumpkin

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 # black raisins.

1. Cover the dried chic peas with water and soak over night

2. The next day,drain the chic peas and cook in fresh water foe about an hour,drain,cool and remove the skins by plunging them in a bowl of cold water and gently rubbing them between your fingers. The skins will rise to the top of the water-Throw em out (or put them in your compost like I do).

3.Prepare your cous cous by washing and drying and then lightly steaming it over some broth

4. To make the broth (ok backwards , sorry)throw your lamb in your pot (or bottom of your couscousier if you have one) 1/4 and slice the onion.Add the lamb with the salt,spices,half the butter and about 2 qts of water,and the drained chic peas.Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around an hour

5.prepare the veggies,peel the carrots,half them and cut into 2 inch pieces. Peel and seed the pumpkin,then cut into medium chunks (maybe a couple inches)

6.steam and dry the cous cous again

7. pop in the carrots,sugar and raisins to the broth,keep simmering for 1/2 hour

8.1/2 hour before serving,ad the pumpkin to the broth.Bring to a boil,seal the containers with cheese cloth if you can tooo hold in the pressure and cook for about 20 minuts more

9. dump the cous cous into a large serving dish and toss with the rest of the butter,use a fork to fluff and get rid of any lumps. Spread out and form a well in the center. With a perf spoon lift out pieces of the meat,brunios the meat and put it in the well.Cover with the veggies,strain the broth and pour it over the whole mess.

Suvir..I am really honored to share this recipe with you, and I hope you enjoy making it this Autumn

[Fat Guy]

Cape: You mention Israeli couscous, which I like very much (whereas I have never been a couscous fan). I'm not sure, however, that I consider it couscous. That is to say, there is couscous and there is Israeli couscous. Perhaps this explanation is better than mine . . .

http://www.jamesbeard.org/events/words/isr..._couscous.shtml

[Brad S]

Steven,

Yes that is great imformation, and I agree that the cous cous fro israel is a bit differnt than what most may use or consider the real deal.

I have had much success with the little pearls from Israel and find they fit very well with most traditinal Moroccan recipes.

I also love the toasted cous cous from Italy very much, Ithink it is exstuded and then cut..hence the square shape,but lovely nutty flavor.

I thank you very much for sharing this imformation with me.

Life is a process of learning

[helenas]

I also love the toasted cous cous from Italy very much, Ithink it is exstuded and then cut..hence the square shape,but lovely nutty flavor.

Fregola/fregula?

The latest Lidia's book describes a technique to make it at home. I believe it's also available on the net.

M.Jaffrey recommends to use whole wheat organic couscous and toast it a bit before adding the boiled water: this adds a lot of flavor.

[Suvir Saran]

M.Jaffrey recommends to use whole wheat organic couscous and toast it a bit before adding the boiled water: this adds a lot of flavor.

That sounds like a great tip! Thanks for sharing.

[Suvir Saran]

While in the west we often find couscous being served as a side dish, in North Africa and Morocco, it is served by itself and with great aplomb.

Couscous in these other countries is served with its own accompanying dishes.

What are your favorite ways of preparing couscous?

What kind of couscous do you use?

Do you use a couscoussiere?

Any favorite recipes you care to share.

Edited January 4, 2003 by Suvir Saran (log)

[vengroff]

What are your favorite way of preparing couscous?  

Any favorite recipes youc are to share.

When I am serving vegetarians, I like to make a tagine of oven-roasted root vegetables over couscous. It's hearty enough that the meat eaters at the table can't complain much.

I use carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and/or other roots that happen to be available. Cut them into 1" cubes and roast in a hot oven until well carmelized, about an hour. Mix the roots with some veggie stock, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions, raisins, red chile, cumin, tumeric, and cinnamon. Simmer to meld the flavors and thicken the sauce. Serve over couscous.

Sorry I don't have exact proportions. This is always kind of a wing-it dish for me, with lots of tasting and reseasoning.

[Brad S]

I like Djerban style from Tunisia.

I use either toasted Italian or Israely cous cous

[Jinmyo]

I just don't like couscous. Too itty-bitty. I've tried Israeli couscous and that was better. But too itty.

[Suvir Saran]

I like Djerban style from Tunisia.

I use either toasted Italian or Israely cous cous

What is different about the Djerban style?

Would you care to share, please.

Does the word have a special meaning?

[Brad S]

Because of the abundense of all types of seafood the coast of tunisia (sfax and bizette) they prepare there cous cous with seafood.

They have a "kiskis" (sp?) that fits in the top compartment of the couscousierner and hold the seafood.

I love the flavor of quince and rose petal water that are part of this dish.

It has no special meaning to me other then I enjoy making it

[Suvir Saran]

Thank you Brad S!

Quince and rose petal water sound great.

[Sandra Levine]

If I'm under the weather, I like to have couscous cooked in chicken broth with a scrambled egg mixed in. Very soothing.

[Suvir Saran]

Jinmyo, I share your feelings about couscous. I cook it for friends and family, but hardly ever get any pleasure from eating it. I do prefer Israeli couscous as well. But it is also just blah...

Do you ever prepare it for others? How do you do that?

[torakris]

I have just recently gotten into couscous and now am addicted.

My first tries were of Morrocan style tagines on a bed of couscous and I found it bland and felt I could use rice instead since that was much more readily available to me in Japan.

THEN I made a couscous salad a la Jamie Oliver and my world has changed!

I now make it almost exclusively in salad form either hot or cold.

My favorite cold (room temperature) salad is couscous tossed with various grilled veggies, such as zucchini, red peppers, scallions, or asparagus (usually done on a griddle pan). Then dressed with red winevinegar and EVOO dressing, S and P and handful of herbs.

My newest "creation" was a warm salad of couscous tossed with roasted cubed butternut squash and slivered scallions tossed with EVOO and lemon juice seasoned with a little chile paste and honey and some mint.

It makes such a quick lunch lunch because I can through together the ingredients while the couscous is soaking.

In addition to the 10 boxes of regular (?) couscous I brought back with me on my ercent trip to the US, I have 3 bags of Israeli couscous that I can't wait to try.

[Jinmyo]

Suvir, no, not anymore I don't.

[jayhay]

I've been reading reviews, & everyone seems to love couscous except my family. What's wrong?

Tonight I made a Mario Batali recipe for *Chicken Thighs with Saffron Green Olives & Mint* http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/24/133947.shtml & served it along with his *Tomato Couscous with PineNuts & Figs*, http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/24/133984.shtml

The chicken was good, but the couscous went into the garbage, because it had a stale taste. I've bought couscous (in boxes as well as plastic bags), from stores with a "cooking/gourmet" clientele, so it should be fresh, but it always has that same stale taste. Is it just us, or is it the product?

[SuzySushi]

... the couscous went into the garbage, because it had a stale taste.  I've bought couscous (in boxes as well as plastic bags), from stores with a "cooking/gourmet" clientele, so it should be fresh, but it always has that same stale taste.  Is it just us, or is it the product?

←

Try buying couscous from the bulk bins at a health/natural foods store, which should have a higher turnover.

[chefzadi]

... the couscous went into the garbage, because it had a stale taste.  I've bought couscous (in boxes as well as plastic bags), from stores with a "cooking/gourmet" clientele, so it should be fresh, but it always has that same stale taste.  Is it just us, or is it the product?

←

Try buying couscous from the bulk bins at a health/natural foods store, which should have a higher turnover.

←

That won't work either. The recipe is crap. Hi Mario, don't give couscous a bad rep with bad recipes. With all due respect...

Want to try couscous? Read my Algerian cuisine blog.

EDIT: It's like making Italian pasta dishes with instant cup ramen. WTF??!?!?!?!

Edited November 24, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[SuzySushi]

Try buying couscous from the bulk bins at a health/natural foods store, which should have a higher turnover.

←

That won't work either. The recipe is crap. Hi Mario, don't give couscous a bad rep with bad recipes. With all due respect...

Want to try couscous? Read my Algerian cuisine blog.

EDIT: It's like making Italian pasta dishes with instant cup ramen. WTF??!?!?!?!

←

Yeesh! You're right... I hadn't clicked the link for the recipe. What a peculiar way of cooking couscous!