The Easy however Shocking Method for Cooking Excellent Fluffy Couscous, In response to a Moroccan Chef

In Morocco and throughout North Africa, couscous is greater than only a carbohydrate staple—it is a meal with immense cultural significance. Historically served on Fridays, couscous—which in North Africa refers not simply to the cooked semolina grains however to the whole dish it is served with—marks the tip of the week and is supposed to be shared amongst family and friends. Its cultural significance is obvious within the particular care taken in its preparation, the beneficiant parts made, and the communal fashion by which it’s served. Whereas the strategies and substances can range amongst households and areas, couscous constantly holds its place as a unifying meal, expressing hospitality, care, and a love of sharing good meals.

Couscous as an Whole Dish

Whenever you hear “couscous” within the Moroccan context, it sometimes means the cooked couscous grains topped with lamb or hen and a variety of greens, cooked in an fragrant broth. For instance, Friday couscous, often known as seven greens couscous, options massive items of pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, turnips, and cabbage, with every vegetable cooked to perfection so they keep their form and vibrant colours. One other sort of Moroccan couscous, hen t’faya options hen with a aromatic caramelized onion and raisin sauce served on prime of couscous grains. 

The Origins of Couscous

The precise origin of couscous is debated amongst historians, nevertheless, it’s extensively accepted that couscous started with the Amazigh (aka Berbers), the indigenous individuals of North Africa, significantly in areas that are actually Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Historic references, together with these by thirteenth century Arab geographers, spotlight couscous (referencing the whole meal) as a staple in North African delicacies. By the sixteenth century, it had gained widespread reputation all through the area.

Over time, couscous turned a meal deeply related to neighborhood and custom, symbolizing the enjoyment of gathering. Its development in reputation can largely be attributed to the truth that it’s constructed from semolina, a extensively obtainable and simply harvested grain within the area. Dried couscous additionally shops simply and is straightforward to organize, requiring little greater than  flour and water, making it superb for North Africa’s arid, sizzling local weather. Its versatility and the truth that it enhances quite a lot of proteins and greens additionally contribute to its historic and ongoing reputation, as does the truth that it might probably simply be made in massive parts, good for feeding teams. It’s nonetheless sometimes served on Fridays in Morocco after “Jumu’ah,” the weekly Islamic prayer, as a means of celebrating connection and togetherness.

How Couscous Grains Are Historically Made and Cooked in Morocco

Couscous is historically constructed from semolina, a coarsely floor durum wheat flour, which is sprinkled with water till a dough varieties after which hand-rolled and pressed by a sieve till it separates into tiny grains. This handmade methodology remains to be frequent in some rural areas in North Africa, although most couscous in as we speak’s markets is machine processed.  

On this conventional handmade methodology, coarse semolina flour is moistened with water and formed by hand into small balls. These balls are then pressed by a collection of sieves of various mesh sizes, progressively creating finer and finer granules. Every sieving stage ends in a special dimension of couscous, from coarse to advantageous, and numerous sizes are bought individually. Folks select the scale of their couscous based mostly on their private choice. Superb couscous is analogous in dimension to grains of sand, the medium coarse is barely bigger than the advantageous one, and the coarse barely bigger than the medium one. The medium dimension is quite common and is the scale bought in western supermarkets.

The granules are then cooked in a two-part steamer referred to as a “couscoussière.” The underside portion holds a flavorful broth with chunks of protein (usually lamb, beef, or hen), greens, and spices, whereas the highest holds the couscous grains, that are positioned above the simmering broth. The steam from the simmering broth cooks the grains above. Couscous is historically steamed in three rounds, every spherical separated by fluffing the couscous with palms or a fork to forestall clumping and to make sure even cooking. This steaming course of infuses the couscous with the delicate taste of the spices and aromatics from the simmering stew beneath, showcasing the time and care inherent in Moroccan cooking. 

This methodology of preparation is labor intensive, and even in Morocco making ready handmade couscous from scratch is much less and fewer frequent. As a substitute, it has grow to be extra frequent to search out ready couscous that has been par-steamed and dried, usually labeled as “on the spot” couscous, comparable to what’s present in most US markets. Whereas hand-prepared couscous is incomparable, with the proper approach, it’s nonetheless doable to rework store-bought par-cooked dried couscous into completely cooked, fluffy couscous that even I, a Moroccan chef, can affirm is scrumptious and worthy of serving to my household. Right here’s my distinctive approach for remodeling store-bought couscous at residence.

The way to Put together Retailer-Purchased Couscous With a Fluffy Texture

As talked about above, outdoors of North Africa, the well timed steaming methodology of constructing couscous is never utilized by residence cooks. As a substitute, packaged couscous has grow to be a preferred quick-cooking staple, sometimes bought as an “on the spot” model that has been pre-steamed and dried. This implies it solely requires a quick rehydration earlier than consuming, which is far sooner than the standard three-step steaming course of utilized in Morocco.

Most on the spot couscous is ready by merely including boiling water, masking, and permitting it to steam. Whereas fast and handy, this methodology usually results in couscous that is overcooked, sticky, and clumpy quite than having the tender, fluffy texture of conventional Moroccan couscous. Nonetheless, with a barely extra cautious strategy, it’s doable with the grocery store ppackaged varieties to attain fluffy and “al dente” couscous, just like what you’d expertise with prime quality couscous in Morocco. My methodology for making ready store-bought couscous that yields a lightweight and fluffy texture entails briefly rehydrating the couscous grains with room temperature water, then heating them within the oven to complete cooking them. Listed here are my tricks to get the very best outcomes.

• Search out prime quality couscous. As is true with many recipes, the extra easy the recipe, the extra necessary it’s to start out with prime quality substances to ensure the very best outcomes. When choosing couscous, be sure to buy couscous made with 100% semolina durum wheat. The manufacturers I like to recommend are Dari, Tria, and Mazyana, which may be bought as specialty markets or on-line.
• Soak the grains with room temperature liquid. Regardless of what the package deal in your store-bought couscous might counsel, keep away from soaking on the spot couscous with boiling broth or water. Boiling liquid generates an excessive amount of steam when initially being absorbed into the grains, which is able to trigger the couscous to overcook and stick collectively.
• Begin with much less liquid than you’d count on. I can assure that almost all directions on store-bought couscous name for an excessive amount of liquid. Typically, half the really useful quantity of broth or water is adequate. Right here I’ve scaled down the usual ratio of liquid to grain and I name for about half the quantity of liquid that almost all recipes or boxed directions advocate.

To verify if the couscous has absorbed sufficient liquid, squeeze a number of grains of couscous between your fingers. If the grains really feel tender however nonetheless maintain their form, they’ve absorbed sufficient. In the event that they really feel laborious, they haven’t absorbed sufficient liquid. If that is so, you’ll be able to add a further half cup of room temperature liquid and let the couscous soak for a number of further minutes, then verify once more.  In the event that they really feel tender and squishy (which gained’t occur with my approach), they’ve absorbed an excessive amount of. 

• Use a flavorful broth: For the very best taste, I like to recommend utilizing a great high quality inventory or broth (beef, hen, and even vegetable broth will all work nicely) as an alternative of water. This can mimic the depth of taste from a standard Moroccan couscous the place the grains take in the flavors of the steaming broth beneath.
• Fluff together with your palms: After the grains have absorbed the liquid, I like to recommend utilizing your palms versus a fork to fluff them gently. With fingers we use our senses to the touch (and really feel) the grains whereas with a fork we have to use our eyes and the outcome is not as environment friendly. Utilizing your palms will can help you separate the grains with extra precision and create a lightweight, ethereal texture.
• End with olive oil or butter: As soon as the couscous has soaked, and earlier than it bakes within the oven, drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil or melted butter and toss to coat evenly earlier than heating the couscous. This not solely provides taste, however the coating of fats additionally promotes even cooking of the grains within the oven, and ensures the grains gained’t stick collectively.
• Bake within the oven: The mild, regular warmth of the oven is one of the simplest ways to heat the couscous earlier than serving. The couscous isn’t actually cooking additional at this stage, however it’s warming by and softening to the perfect fluffy tender texture, with out operating the chance of the grains sticking collectively, which occurs when boiling water is poured over couscous.

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