Couscous is a treasured staple food in the Middle East. When it is bejewelled, say, with pomegranate seeds and almonds, and presented with tagines and other accompaniments, it does indeed look a feast fit for a sultan. But couscous does not need to be complicated. In fact, at its simplest, it is much quicker to prepare than pasta or rice.
What to buy
The tiny, golden grains of couscous are not grains at all, but pellets of semolina flour.
Most couscous you will find in supermarkets or other retailers will be the instant variety that has been pre-steamed and needs nothing more than a quick soak in hot liquid.
More traditional couscous needs to be steamed and this is often done over a bubbling tagine in a specially designed pot. Even in the instant product, different brands will give different results.
I’ve found some of the imported varieties seem less likely to clump and result in a lighter, more enjoyable texture.
Pearl couscous, or moghrabieh, is different, still made from semolina, but with a round shape like a small pea. Simple couscous can be ready in a matter of minutes.
It is cooked like pasta, in a pot of boiling water, but has a chewier texture.
Simple couscous
A quick, plain couscous can be made with no more effort than a cup of tea. Boil the kettle, put 1 cup of couscous in a heatproof bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water, stir, cover with a lid or foil and leave to stand.
Five minutes later, add a splash of oil, turn over with a fork to separate the grains and season to taste.
This will give you a blank canvas to work with. The plain flavour is fine for sopping up the juices of a stew or casserole, particularly if it contains spices such as cumin, coriander or cinnamon.
Add flavour
Using chicken or other stock instead of water will give your couscous a deeper flavour and make it more substantial.
Bring a cup or two of stock (I tend to add a little extra to allow for evaporation) in a medium to large pot. Remember couscous will expand. Take it off the heat and sprinkle in the couscous.
Replace lid and leave for 5 minutes before forking over with oil. If you are also cooking a stew with plenty of liquid, use a ladle to transfer some of this to your pot, add water to make up the correct quantity, and cook as above.
A better way
When cooking a large amount of couscous, particularly when there are other things to get to the table, I find the best way is to use the oven.
Set the oven to a low heat (about 120C will do) and warm a large, heatproof dish.
Pull it out of the oven (turn oven off) and add couscous. Drizzle over oil (1 tablespoon) and rub through the grains with your fingers.
I also normally add a sprinkle of warm spices such as ground coriander and cumin at this stage. The lemony tang of sumac would also work well, as would a blend such as ras el hanout. Pour over hot stock (or water), mix, cover and leave in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
Fork over with a little extra oil and either serve or return to oven until needed it.
Dress it up
Whatever couscous you make, it will benefit from a few extra textures. Add enough other elements and couscous can be a meal in itself.
- Herbs: Couscous will always be better with a fresh lift of herbs. Chopped coriander and parsley are classic accompaniments, mint is excellent and you could also try other soft leaves such as basil.
- Lemon: Grated lemon rind and a squeeze of juice will add extra zing.
- Nuts: Toasted pine nuts or a few slivered almonds add lovely crunch.
- Fruit: Many versions of couscous include dried fruit such as apricots or currants. Try craisins or pomegranate seeds (in season) for some sweet/sour balance.
- Olives: Chopped green olive with preserved lemon (or lemon rind) is a classic combination and excellent served with chicken.
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