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.
I am sorry to say Couscous is poorly represented and poorly executed in many restaurants. This Giant Couscous Chapter is my Tikkun!
This is My Whole Couscous Chapter!
The whole Couscous primer in one place. I am making a couscous pro out of you!
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.
Sometimes grain sold as couscous is actually a couscous-shaped (usually larger) pasta, affectionately called Israeli couscous, which is not suitable in traditional couscous recipes. Although the combinations of vegetables and meats vary greatly, the structure of the dish called couscous always remains the same. We love to make this “sweet couscous” on Rosh Hashanah, to usher in a sweet new year. It is the custom for some Jews not to use any nuts during the Holiday of Rosh Hashanah: simply skip them.
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!
My Vegetarian Couscous is a whole meal!
So do not get daunted by the lengthy ingredient list! This is Dinner!
Low-Gluten and Gluten-Free Couscous
I make couscous with barley couscous for low gluten: Look for it in Indian grocery stores or online. I don’t recommend the whole-wheat couscous, as it has an objectionable somewhat-bitter aftertaste. Gluten-free: just use quinoa!
There are many couscous combinations you can make. I am giving you here one of my favorite;
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 or lamb
- All serve eight to ten guests
- 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.
Couscous Royal
It just means, with all bells and whistles. Caramelized onions, veggies, 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 head sliced white cabbage, 1 pound carrot chunks, 1 pound diced turnips, 2 large diced tomatoes, 1 large or 2 medium 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 wedges, 2 cups edamame, 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, peeled and quartered
- 2 good pinches saffron threads
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 pounds thin carrots, or butternut squash (unpeeled) cut into 2-inch chunks
- 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 cups canned chick peas
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons orange flower water
Couscous grain
- 3 cups couscous (NOT Israeli couscous)
- 3 cups boiling water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup toasted slivered almonds (10-15 minutes in 1 300 degree oven)
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy pot.
Coarsely grind the onions in a food processor and add to the hot oil. Reduce the flame to medium and fry until dark, stirring occasionally. This step will take about 20 minutes. Add the saffron, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, pepper, salt, carrots or butternut squash, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook covered for 30 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and cook 15 more minutes.
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: Pour the couscous grain in the bottom of a platter. Pour some of the cooking broth evenly on the grain, only as much as the grain will absorb. Don’t allow a mushy or soupy look. Arrange vegetables and fruit over the grain. 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:
- You can play with different vegetables: See suggested vegetable combos in the intro.
- If you would like to include chicken: Add chicken legs, thighs, and half breasts (about 1 dozen pieces total), boneless perfectly fine too, at the same time you add the saffron, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, pepper, salt, and carrots and bring the water to 3 cups. Cook covered for 1 hour. Add all remaining ingredients (dried fruit and spices) and cook 15 more minutes.
- If you would like to include boneless beef or lamb cubes (about 3½ pounds): Cook the meat in a separate pot in 6 cups water for 2 hours. Add the meat and its cooking liquids at the same time you add the saffron, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, pepper, salt, and carrots. Make sure you have enough liquids, add a little water if necessary to a total of about 3 cups. Cook covered for 1 hour. Add all remaining ingredients (dried fruit and spices) and cook 15 more minutes.
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!