Couscous Recipe. Meat, Poultry and All Variations
Couscous
Couscous is the rock star of Moroccan cuisine. The pride and joy of our Moroccan Cuisine. It is as wonderful and fun as it is nutritious. The one pictured above is complete: veggies, chickpeas, chicken, dried fruit, roasted slivered almonds. The whole feast! But there are many more couscous combos, and you will learn to play with all variations, including vegetarian, as I am instructed. You will note I am positively pouring my heart out you in this massive chapter.
I am sorry to say Couscous is poorly represented and poorly executed in many restaurants around the world, and this includes Israel and even Morocco. This Giant Couscous Chapter is the Tikkun I offer for this great but generally neglected culinary marvel.
This is a Whole Beautiful Meal!
So do not get daunted by the lengthy ingredient list! This is Dinner! This is my Whole giant chapter, offering the whole primer in one place. I am making a couscous pro out of you!
Gluten-Free Couscous?
Just use quinoa!
Couscous Grain Explained
Couscous is native to Morocco, and the word refers to both the grain and the traditional dish made with the grain. It is semolina, or durum (the heart of the wheat kernel), ground to the consistency of coarse cornmeal and mixed with flour and just enough water to make small grains, about the size of millet grains. These plump grains are then dried, preferably in the hot sun. Prepared couscous is very easy to find in bulk at most health food and grocery stores. Let me reassure you, you won’t need to do any of this. You will find perfect couscous grain in all supermarkets and health food stores, ready to use.
Essential: Start with the right Couscous Grain!
The product affectionately called Israeli Couscous is not couscous act all. It is very good, yes, but it is a pasta, and it is NOT what you want for couscous. For vegetable coucous and all couscous dishes, you DO NOT want Israeli cous (LEFT). you WANT the couscous grain (RIGHT!)
Couscous is Traditionally Made in a Couscoussier
A deep narrowish pot-bellied two part pot. The bottom part is filled two-thirds with water, and a top part with a perforated bottom where the couscous grain go and gets all permeated with the steam.
But you know what? I always fear these added steps, albeit simple, would act as a deterrent. With my much-simplified just-about-perfect method, you might make couscous more often. And not just for the larger couscous dish, but also for a simple side dish, or a base for couscous bowl.
The Perfect Couscous Grain
Please ignore the instructions on the box, which often yield a mushy, untextured and watery grain. Instead, follow my no-fail instructions for a dry-plump finished grain. 1 cup couscous grain, 1 cup boiling water: 1:1 is the perfect ratio! Beautiful, plump, and no-cooking. Ready-to-use couscous is available everywhere.
Although the combinations of vegetables and meats vary greatly, the structure of the dish called couscous always remains the same.
The Perfect Couscous Grain
Please ignore the instructions on the box, which often yield a mushy, untextured and watery grain. Instead, follow my no-fail instructions for a dry-plump finished grain. 1 cup couscous grain, 1 cup boiling water: 1:1 is the perfect ratio!
There are So Many Exciting Couscous Combos!
The method is always the same:
- All can be made vegetarian
- All can be made with chicken, beef and/or lamb
- All serve eight to ten guests generously
- Cook all vegetables until soft with the water (or broth if you are making it chicken or lamb. All in the instructions) and seasonings listed in the instructions.
- If using dried fruit, add dried fruit just a few minutes before the end of cooking.
- If using roasted almonds: Sprinkle just before serving.
- TO SERVE: Vegetable/ meat mixture piled high in the center, grain all around; pour cooking liquid uniformly on the vegetables and on the grain.. Serve Harissa on the side.
Above: Couscous Royal. Literally, it means couscous fit for a king. It just means, with all bells and whistles. veggies, chicken/meat, dried fruit, almonds. Complete instructions included, both with and without meat/chicken
Above: vegetable couscous #1: 2 large sliced onions, 1 pound carrots cut in chunks, 1 pound zucchini cut in chunks, 2 pounds unpeeled butternut squash cut in chunks, 2 cups chickpeas, Cook together with 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 good pinches saffron, S&P, 2 cups water, for 30 minutes. Add 2 cups slivered dried prunes and apricots and cook 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup roasted slivered almonds. Same instructions for adding meat and/or chicken, and for serving.
Above. Couscous aux Sept Légumes: 2 large sliced onions, half a medium size head sliced white cabbage, 1 pound carrot chunks, 1 pound diced turnips, 2 large diced tomatoes, 1 large or 2 medium large-diced zucchini, 2 cups shelled edamame chickpeas), 1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves.
Cook together with 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 good pinches saffron, S&P, 2 cups water, for 40 minutes. Same instructions for adding meat and/or chicken, and for serving
Above. Light summer combo: 2 tomatoes cut in thin wedges, 2 large leeks, halved lengthwise and cut in 2” segments, 1 large head fennel, cut in thin wedges, 2 cups edamame or canned chickpeas, 1 pound sliced frozen thawed artichoke bottoms, 1 pound carrots cut in chunks, 1 large zucchini or 2 medium zucchini cut in chunks, 1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves.
Cook together with 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 good pinches saffron, S&P, 2 cups water, for 40 minutes. Same instructions for adding meat and/or chicken, and for serving
Above. Couscous dessert. Yes, dessert! Called Seffa. Follow the instructions for cooking the grain, omitting the oil and the pepper, and using just a little salt. Mix the hot cooked grain with 1/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons orange blossom water, good dash salt, 1/2 cup plump golden raisins (soaked in hot water and drained), 2/3 cup toasted almonds whole or slivered. Delicious!
Ingredients
Serves eight to ten
Couscous Royal Vegetable Mixture
Instructions for including chicken or meat are right below.
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 good pinches saffron threads
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 pounds thin carrots, or butternut squash (unpeeled) cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 cups canned chickpeas
- 2 cups dried fruit: raisins, sliced apricots, sliced prunes, in any combination you like (if you would rather choose just one kind, let it be the apricots)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons orange flower water
- 1 cup toasted slivered almonds (10-15 minutes in 1 300 degree oven)
Couscous grain
- 3 cups couscous (NOT Israeli couscous)
- 3 cups boiling water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Bring the first set of ingredients (to be clear: through the chickpeas line) to a boil in a large heavy wide bottom pot. Reduce the flame to medium and cook covered for 30 minutes. Add a little water if needed to ensure you have about 3 cups liquid throughout the cooking, remember, the vegetables will release their own liquids as well.
Add the second set of ingredients (to be clear: from the dried fruit through the orange blossom water) and cook 15 more minutes. The dried fruit will expand and absorb some of the cooking liquids. Stir in 1 to 2 cups cups more water if necessary to end up with 3 cups liquids.
While the dish is cooking, prepare couscous grain:
Place the grain in a stainless steel bowl—with the oil, salt and pepper, and water—and mix thoroughly. Immediately cover very tightly with 2 layers of foil. Let the mixture rest 15 minutes, then fluff it with 2 forks until the grains are separated.
To serve: Arrange the whole vegetables/fruit/meat/chicken mixture except the liquids piled high in a large serving platter. Arrange the couscous grain all around this mixture. Pour some of the cooking broth evenly on the vegetable mixture and over the grain, only as much as the grain will absorb. Don’t allow a mushy or soupy look. Sprinkle the whole dish with the toasted almonds. Pass any remaining broth in a gravy boat. Serve with harissa on the side . Makes 8 ample servings.
Couscous Variations:
- Select your combo: You can play with different vegetables: See suggested vegetable combos in the intro.
- Including chicken: bring chicken legs, thighs, and half breasts (about 1 dozen pieces total), boneless perfectly fine too, to boil with 3 cups of water in a large heavy wide bottom pot. Cook covered for 15 minutes. At this point, add the first set of ingredients minus the water (remember you have the chicken cooking liquids) and proceed with the recipe as listed.
- Including beef or lamb Bring 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef or lamb cubes (about 2 inch dice) chicken legs, thighs, and half breasts (about 2” dice) to boil with 6 cups of water in a large heavy wide bottom pot. Bring the flame to medium and cook, covered, for 2 1/4 hours. At this point, add the first set of ingredients minus the water (remember you have the beef cooking liquids) and proceed with the recipe as listed.
- Extra festive “sweet” occasions. Rosh Hashanah, weddings, etc. Throw in 1 cup dark-fried onions in your recipe, and proceed with your recipe as listed.
Dear Levana,
your blog and recipes are wonderful. I cooked a lot of them (to be more exact, this one, harissa, tzimmes, sweet potato tajine, Morrocan fish soup, date nut bread, chocolate chip banana cake, etc) for this Rosh HaShana and Sukkos.
Thank you very, very much!
Best regards from Latvia
Thank you so much Chavah! Always great to hear:-))) Do you have my latest cookbook, the Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen? I think it’s a must. Available in EBook as well!
Thank you for the response! No, I don’t have your latest cookbook yet, but I also think it’s a must :D
Chavah You will love it, here is the link http://www.amazon.com/The-Whole-Foods-Kosher-Kitchen/dp/1467507040/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A2DFWCVZ1SKGGW Be sure this is the link you use, hardcover
While studying abroad in France, I boarded with a Tunisian-born woman with whom I became quite close. I looked forward to her Shabbat couscous every week, and this recipe brought back really warm memories of my time with my host mother. I made the couscous with chicken and apricots and prunes–now that I know Levana’s trick to making the couscous grain, I hope to make it much more often. The couscous I had in France was more savory, but with dried fruit it’s very luxe–even if you have a sweet tooth, I think just a bit of dried fruit goes a long way. :) Don’t forget the toasted almonds in this recipe–they add the perfect crunch!