VideoNEW
Podcasts
Blogs
Watch Video
Cuisine Category
Food Category
Key Ingredient
Special Consideration
Couscous recipe
Listen
You need to upgrade your Flash Player This is replaced by the Flash content. Place your alternate content here and users without the Flash plugin or with Javascript turned off will see this.
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Prep Time: 45 min(s)
- Cook Time: 45 min(s)
- Serves 4
Couscous is widely used in Moroccan cuisine. It's called semolina, but becomes couscous after being steamed and turning fluffy. In this interview, chef Hassan M'souli from Sydney's Out of Africa restaurant explains how to prepare couscous.
Ingredients
4l (128fl oz) water1 tsp salt
3 bay leaves
½ tsp black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
Pinch saffron threads (soaked in 3 cups water)
500g (1lb) couscous
100g butter
Preparation
Pour 3 litres of the water into the bottom of the couscoussier. Add half the salt, the bay leaves, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks, and bring to the boil.In a saucepan, add the remaining salt and heat until almost boiling.
Place the couscous into a shallow bowl. Cover with half the saffron water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the couscous. Using your fingers, separate the grains and any lumps.
Place cheesecloth around the lip of the bottom part of the couscoussier and put the top part in place (this prevents steam from escaping).
Spread the couscous evenly into the top section. Wait until the steam starts to come through the grain (making sure no steam escapes between the two pots), and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Transfer the couscous to a shallow bowl. Add 1 cup of the remaining saffron water, stirring. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Return couscous to the couscoussier and steam for a further 5 minutes.
Once again, transfer the couscous to a shallow bowl. Add the remaining saffron water. Using your fingers, separate the grains and any lumps. Add the butter and mix through with your fingers (butter or oil is always added after the last steam to seal the grain).
Couscous can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week, and can be served hot or cold.
To make savoury couscous, follow the same steaming process used above, however, use vegetable, fish or meat stock in the base of the couscoussier. These can be flavoured with bay leaves, peppercorns, onion and garlic. There are numerous combinations of flavours and not a lot of limitations. Instead of using butter to seal the grain, you could use extra virgin olive oil or smen (Moroccan aged butter).
If you enjoyed this Couscous recipe then browse more Moroccan recipes, side dish recipes, healthy recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Moroccan Restaurants
Displaying 10 of 55 Moroccan Restaurants.
| Restaurant | Book Online | Suburb | |
| 1. | Builders Arms Hotel, bandroom | Fitzroy | |
| 2. | Moroccan Soup Bar | Fitzroy North | |
| 3. | African Feeling | Newtown | |
| 4. | Alhambra | Manly | |
| 5. | Out of Africa | Manly | |
| 6. | Kazbah On Darling | Balmain | |
| 7. | Cafe Mint | Surry Hills | |
| 8. | Sumac | Sydney | |
| 9. | Little Moorish Restaurant | East Perth | |
| 10. | Veritas Restaurant | Highgate |
Featured Food & Recipes
Hot Tips
Salting an eggplant
Salting an eggplant is only necessary if the eggplant is over-mature and is to be fried (salting the eggplant stops it absorbing too much oil). If this is the case sprinkle the eggplant with salt and leave to drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Rinse quickly to remove salt before cooking.
Glossary
Leek
An onion-like plant with a small bulb and thick stalk, used as an aromatic seasoning or vegetable.
