The best way to cook/serve cous cous? Thanks Luv J x?

Answer 1

Couscous......

Is the name given to both the national dish of Morocco, and the durum wheat pasta granules from which it is made. The granules are placed in a colander or steamer that is lined with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel and steamed over a saucepan containing a broth. As the broth is heated, steam starts to rise and cooks the couscous. Slowly the couscous absorbs the delicious flavours of the vegetables, meat and spices. The couscous is dried and separated several times to give a light, moist texture. This is not as complicated as it sounds, but it is possible to buy precooked couscous.

Couscous with Seven Vegetables
Serves 4-6

450g couscous
700-900g lamb shoulder or neck
2 cloves garlic
2 medium onions
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp coarse salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 chilli pepper
1/2 tsp saffron
1/2 tsp turmeric or paprika
10 sprigs parsley
10 sprigs coriander
4 carrots
3 small turinips
3 courgettes
1 aubergine
3 tomatoes
575g can chickpeas

Place the couscous in a bowl and cover with cold water. Drain immediately through a fine sieve and return to the bowl. Work the couscous with your fingers to separate the granules. Leave to stand.
Meanwhile, dice the lamb into 2in(50mm) cubes, finely chop the garlic and slice the onions into rings. Prepare the broth by putting the lamb, garlic, onions, oil, butter, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, chilli pepper, saffron, turmeric or paprika, 6 sprigs of parsley, 6 sprigs of coriander, and 3 pints (1.7 litres) of water into a large pan. Bring to the boil.
Work the couscous between your fingers again and place 8 tbsp of it into the lined colander, over the gently simmering broth. When steam rises through, add the rest and steam for 30 minutes.
To prepare the vegetables, peel and quarter the carrots and turnips. Trim and quarter the courgettes and slice the aubergine. Quarter and seed the tomatoes. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Remove the colander and empty the steamed couscous into a large flat pan. Sprinkle with a small glass of salted water. Separate the grains with your fingers, spread the couscous out and leave to dry.
Meanwhile, add the carrots and turnips to the broth and steam for 10 minutes. Then stir in the aubergines courgettes and tomatoes, and just enough water to cover all the vegetables, if there is insufficient. Return the couscous to the colander and steam for 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas to the broth and steam for a final 10 minutes.
Reserving the broth liquid, drain the vegetables and meat. Heap the couscous onto a large, warmed serving plate and moisten with 1/4 pint(150ml) of the broth and make a hollow in the middle. Spoon the meat and vegetables into the hollow. Chop the remaining herbs for garnish and serve.

And....................

Simple Moroccan Couscous

Bring 11/4 cups water, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, 11/2 tsp. grated lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil. Add 10-oz. box couscous, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork; add 19-oz. can rinsed canned chickpeas and 1 cup raisins. Toss. Serves 4.

Enjoy!..............._;-)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Once you learn the 2 basic preperations you can do many variations:
DRY METHOD
This method is based on the way cous cous is presented in North Africa. It produces the dry, bread-crumby texture usually served in restaurants and which, if the truth be told, most of those who claim not to like cous cous have encountered.

The technique (which I confess I have never practised) is to soak the cous cous in cold water for a few minutes, then to drain and steam it. This produces separate grains which work very well in mopping up sauces from curries, spicy sauces, and the like. The result also has less flavour than polenta.

The best example of this variety of cous cous that I have had was in an Algerian restaurant in Paris where it was served with various spiced vegetable dishes and sauces, but I would be delighted to hear of readers' experiences of cooking cous cous using this method.
----------------------------------------------
Wet Method
For those amongst the audience who are cous cous purists, I should emphasise once again something which I have already mentioned in passing: this second method is the only one I use and is all I shall discuss for the remainder of the piece. Please do not take offence, but I like my cous cous this way.

Basic Moist Cous Cous
Ingredients

2oz (60g) or 1/3 cup dry cous cous per portion
7 fl oz (200ml) or 1/2 cup stock or fluid per portion
1 tsp oil
spices and herbs to taste
Method

heat the oil in a pan. The pan needs to have a close-fitting lid.
fry any spices until coloured.
Fry whole spices first, then add ground spices, then wet flavourings (eg garlic or chilli)
add the stock to the pan, and bring to the boil.
Depending on your taste, this stock can either be proper stock or a stock cube added to each portion of water. If you use stock cubes, you're unlikely to need any extra salt.
add the cous cous and any dried herbs. Take off the heat, stir and cover.
Dried herbs should be added now to give them a chance to rehydrate. Fresh herbs can either be added halfway through soaking, or just prior to serving depending on the effect you want and the delicacy of the herb.
after ten minutes or so, the fluid should have been absorbed. Stir to separate the grains.
(optional) add a little butter or oil, stir and re-cover for a minute or two.
serve as a side dish

Answer 3

chop up crimson, green and yellow peppers, mushrooms, onions and courgettes(optionally available). put in a roasting pan and pour on olive oil (extremely plenty, say approximately 8 tablespoons) you could upload a pair of cloves of overwhelmed garlic in case you like and sprinkle with salt. prepare dinner in a warm oven for roughly 30 - 40 minutes until the peppers are slightly charred. prepare dinner the cous cous as on the packet and then combination all the factors into the cous cous. it is magnificent with the aid of itself or served with fish or chicken and can be served warm or chilly. get exhilaration from!!

Answer 4

On most packets it usually talks about boiling water, i avoid that method and do a variation on this:
Add to the dry cous cous (to your taste); olive oil, pesto, garlic puree, chopped sun dried tomatoes, chopped fresh herbs, pinch of turmeric, ground sea salt, ground or cracked black pepper.
To about 500g of cous cous pour over 300ml of boiling water, stir and keep warm over another pan. Use a fork to stir through and serve after 10 mins or so. Or cool and use as salad.

Answer 5

Cooking couscous can be very simple. It's generally brought to a low simmer in a sauce-pan, slightly covered in water, for 5-10 minutes until done. The best flavor I had had was a combination of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and wild mushrooms.

Saffron couscous is supposedly a very delicious version, but I have not tried it.

Answer 6

Made with a good vegetable stock, loads of Mediterranean herbs and spices, with a good sprinkle of pine nuts and served with roast veggies, lush!

Answer 7

I really like both fruits and fresh vegetables better, however they look and taste. You desire a little of both.

Answer 8

In the event it's a fruit they have seeds, otherwise it's a vegetable. And vegetables are usually grown in the ground while fruits are grown in trees.

Answer 9

cooked with lemon juice served with sweet and sour chicken or in stuffed peppers usin tomatoe puree

Answer 10

Side dish, main dish, or a stuffing.

Add nuts and raisins for a special treat.