Couscous

MICKEY'S MOROCCAN COUSCOUS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups couscous (10 oz. box)           1 teaspoon minced garlic or three cloves of fresh garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil                   1/2 cup minced onion
2 cups chicken broth                      1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper      1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns (Tellicherry)

Over medium/high heat in a saucepan, heat the oil, brown the minced onion and minced garlic. Add the couscous and cook until it is golden brown. Reduce heat to low and add the chicken stock, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and simmer until most of the liquid is gone. Serve with a Moroccan lamb stew.

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings

Note: The first time I eat couscous was around 1966 while I was stationed in Morocco, Africa in the U. S. Navy. The couscous was prepared like a very coarse dry grits and served with spiced lamb and vegetable stew over the top of the couscous. The couscous was the closest grain to resemble our American type corn grits, known and available only in the Southern part of the United States. My Northern Navy co-workers had never heard of grits. We use to get quite a bit of "ribbing" from them because we were always talking about wanting to eat some grits. Of course, we gave them "down the country" for eating only cream of wheat cereal for breakfast!

Couscous is a yellowish, granular pasta that's originally from the Mediterranean. This wheat-grain semolina is the North African equivalent of rice.

Couscous is the national dish of Morocco, couscous was introduced by the indigenous Berbers. Couscous is traditionally steamed in a special utensil called a couscoussier which is a two-chambered couscoussier, whereas couscous is cooked or steamed in the upper chamber while a stew of meat and vegetables cooks in the bottom chamber while the aromatic steam rises through the perforated second chamber to cook the couscous and add additional flavors to the couscous. Any good steamer will work although you will have to put a fine mesh cloth inside the steamer basket to keep the small granular couscous from falling through the perforated holes in the steamer basket unless you wet the couscous with water and let set for about 30 minutes prior to placing into the steamer.

Recipe and comments from Mickey Porter February 19, 1999 with additional web notes on 12-27-08.

Moroccan Lamb Stew over a bed of Couscous on 12-27-08. Following sequence pixs taken:

Couscous ready for topping of Moroccan Lamb Stew!

Give this Moroccan cuisine a try.....you will not be disappointed

Bill aka Mickey Porter 12-27-08.

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