Cook with Couscous

If you're tired of serving mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with a dinner entrée, switch things up and mound some couscous on your plate. It's easy to cook, is widely available and can make any dinner seem a little more exotic.

Couscous is a staple of North African cuisine, made by turning grain into tiny balls of dough and steaming them. It has been served for millennia in countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and often accompanied with vegetables, fish or meat. Some of the local names for couscous in those countries are identical to the word for "food," which indicates how important it is to their diet.

The traditional vessel used to cook couscous is called a couscousière. It's basically a double boiler where a stew or other creation gets cooked in the bottom of the pot, and the couscous sits in the top part, cooking in the steam that rises from the food below.

Couscous comes in a few forms, but what you most often see for sale in Canada is what is sometimes referred to as "instant" couscous, although that won't be noted on the box or bulk food bin. It is a quick-cooking grain product made by moistening and forming semolina into fine granules, steaming them and then drying them.

To cook this type of couscous, available in regular, whole-wheat and flavoured, you most often simply stir it into boiling water, stock or other liquid, cover tightly, remove from the heat and allowed the couscous to plump up five minutes, before fluffing with a fork to separate the grains.

This type of couscous is a versatile ingredient. For example, you can cook it plainly and use it as a base to spoon something saucy over, such as a stew or braised dish.

You can also add ingredients to the couscous as it cooks and create a side dish that can rival the entrée, which I did in today's recipe for couscous with pine nuts, olives, roasted peppers and basil. After cooking and cooling, couscous can make a great base for a salad or addition to a soup.

I've also seen recipes where couscous was used in a dessert, flavoured with chocolate, almonds and cinnamon.

Another type of couscous becoming more widely available in Canada is called Israeli or pearl couscous. I found it for sale at a bulk food store and at a European-style delicatessen. It's much larger than the couscous noted above, about the size of a small pea.

This type of couscous can be cooked in boiling, salted water as you would pasta. It takes quite a bit longer to cook than fine granulated couscous and can be used in similar ways, such as a side dish or in a salad. I've also seen it added directly to soups and stews and used to make a risotto-like dish.

Middle Eastern specialty food stores might also sell traditional couscous, which requires soaking and slow steaming to cook it, and Lebanese couscous, called maghrabiyeh, which is cooked by soaking in boiling water about 45 minutes.

Eric Akis is the author of the best-selling Everyone Can Cook book series. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.


VEGETABLE SOUP WITH COUSCOUS

This colourful soup is made more filling by spooning couscous into each bowl just before serving.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: About 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, in small cubes
1 celery rib, cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
• pinch each crushed chili flakes and sugar
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
2/3 cup couscous
1/2 cup frozen peas
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pour oil in a medium-sized pot and set over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot and celery, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, cumin, oreg-ano, chili flakes, sugar and stock. Simmer gently 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the 1 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

When the soup is cooked, stir in peas and heat through 1 minute. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Divide the couscous among 4 large soup bowls. Ladle in the soup and serve.

COUSCOUS WITH PINE NUTS AND OLIVES

The Mediterranean flavours of this dish suit grilled lamb chops. Have all ingredients chopped, measured and ready to go before starting this quick-cooking dish.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 6-7 minutes
Makes: 6-8 servings

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (340 gram) pkg. couscous (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 large roasted red pepper, finely diced (sold in jars or in bulk at most supermarkets)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the stock, olive oil and garlic in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Cover, turn off the heat and let the couscous stand 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains and then serve.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD WITH MIXED VEGETABLES, FETA AND RAISINS

A colourful salad you can serve with grilled or roasted fish, chicken or lamb. It's also a great salad to bring to a potluck dinner.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 18-20 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

1 cup Israeli couscous
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cherry tomatoes, each quartered
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup raisins
100 grams feta cheese, crumbled

Bring 4 cups of lightly salted water to a slow boil. Add the couscous and cook 18-20 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the couscous well, cool in ice-cold water and drain well again. Place the couscous in a bowl and toss in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, gently tossing the salad again just before doing so. Salad can be readied several hours in advance of serving.
Read More..