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This is a step by step guide of the best way to make couscous. It’s a bit fiddly, and requires that you eschew such blasphemies as quick-cook couscous. But with this method each grain will lift and separate, just like a Playtex bra. No clumps, no sogginess.
So, this weekend, rather than the usual carbs, have a go at making couscous from Northern Africa. I’ve combined it here with spices, sweet and sour flavours and a blood orange salad. The idea is to reproduce that Middle Eastern vibe of fruity acidic tastes into a savoury dish. If you don’t have dates, use apricots or sultanas. If you can’t find shelled pistachios, use almonds. You can riff on my recipe.
Enjoy with a heavy Middle Eastern wine such as Sidi Brahim or something from the Lebanon.
Ingredients:
Serves 2 or 3
A cup of warm water with 1-2 tablespoons of sea salt
250g wholewheat couscous
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4/5 dates, torn into pieces or
4/5 dried apricots, torn into pieces
50g butter
20g shelled nibbed pistachios, a startling green
20g of barberries
10g bitter orange peel (optional)
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
Method:
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You will need either a couscousière (which I don’t have) or a fine mesh sieve/colander, plus a saucepan with a tight fitting lid and a clean tea towel.
Gather together the rest of the ingredients and fry them lightly in the butter.
When the couscous is cooked, add the buttery fruit and nuts on top.
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This would probably go well with the goat meat I saw today on our local Farmers' Market. Sorry to say that I'm one of the Philistines and use quick-cook couscous! But we do have a proper tagine, so maybe I can be excused??
Tagine good, quick cook couscous, bad.
It doesn't retain it's bite. But even with that, give my method a go? You probably don't even need to do the steaming bit.
I am unable to comment because of my drooling. Will definitely give 'slow' couscous a go and am off to buy some blood oranges now. Thanks for sharing.
looking lovely dish.hope taste as well.I try it today.
Couscous recipes
In the couscous preparation, is it 3x one cup of water at 15 min intervals or one-third of a cup each time?
Approximately 1/3rd of your cup of salty water each time Tom
Thanks