Cous Cous Royale Recipes

MOROCCAN COUSCOUS ROYAL

Steps:

• Brown the lamb cubes in oil. Remove from pan. Brown in same oil chicken drumsticks for few minutes. Remove from pan. Sauté sliced onions and garlic, add ras el-hanout spice mix and stir for 2 minutes. Add lamb, tomato paste and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer. After 60 minutes, add carrots and turnips. After 30 minutes, add chicken, meatballs and garbanzo beans and zucchinis, chopped parsley and cook for an other 30 minutes.
• Cook the couscous according to the package directions. Serve the stew with a side of couscous and onion jam (recipe follows).
• Onion Jam: Sauté 4 sliced onions on low heat for 20 minutes until caramelized, add raisins and honey. Season with salt.

COUSCOUS ROYALE

Steps:

• Cut the carrots and zucchini in half lengthwise, and then slice into three inch pieces.
• Trim the squash, remove seeds, and cut into pieces the same size as the carrots.
• PLace the stock, spices, saffron, and carrots in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, and add olive oil. Cook 15 minutes (skimming any froth).
• Add the lemon zest and juice, honey, zucchini, and squash. Season well. Return to the boil and cook and additional 10 minutes.
• Reheat the cooked couscous and add the butter.
• To serve, mound the couscous on a platter. Drain vegetables and arrange on the couscous. Remove the cinnamon from the stock, and stir in the raisins.

COUSCOUS ROYALE

Steps:

• Make tomato broth: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the harissa, paprika, tomato paste, saffron, and tomatoes. Add 5 cups water, parsley, thyme, cinnamon stick, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.
• Make couscous: Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, olive oil, salt and raisins. Cover the pot with two layers of cheesecloth and top with the lid. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Use a fork to fluff the couscous and mound it in the center of a large shallow bowl. Arrange vegetables around and over couscous and pour tomato broth over. Any remaining broth can be served in a small pitcher alongside the couscous. Serve garnished with preserved lemon.

TRADITIONAL NORTH AFRICAN COUSCOUS (THE REAL WAY!)

Steps:

• Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic & place it in a large heavy bottomed pan with the meat or chicken, ras el hanout & a little olive oil. Fry gently to seal the meat/chicken. I use my pressure cooker pr large cast iron casserole for this.
• Chop the carrot, parsnip and courgette into 6ths. Cut the potato into 1/4's and roughly chop the swede. Chop khourchef or celery into roughly same size as carrot. (Peel the carrots, potato, parsnip and swede).
• Add the vegetables to the meat along with 1L of water and turn up heat so they begin simmering. If using the chilli add it now, along with salt and pepper. If cooking in a regular pan then cook for 40 minutes like this. If using the pressure cooker as I do then 20 minutes will be enough.
• Add the tomatoes, chick peas and dried mint and 1/2L more water or enough to create a 'stew' consistency.
• Return to heat and cook in pan for further 30 minutes and if using pressure cooker then cook on med to high for a further 25 minutes.
• Take a 500g pack of medium couscous and pour into a gas'a if you have one. If not find the biggest bowl you have. Pick out any 'bits' and sprinkle water - about 50mls and a tsp of salt over the couscous and using your hand rub 1/2 tsp of oil through the couscous to stop it sticking. Fill a couscousier or steamer half full with the couscous (as it swells).
• When you 1st notice steam coming from the couscous, count 10 minutes. After that remove from the steamer, place in gas'a and use your hands to 'open' the couscous (rub it together between hands to remove clumps). This is very hot and you need to keep wetting you hand with cold water and sprinkling a little on the couscous.
• Return to steamer when thoroughly opened. Repeat process of steaming and opening twice more.
• Finally remove from steamer and place back in gas'a. Open for final time and rub a tbsp of ghee or smen into the couscous along with 2tsp of butter or margarine. Add salt to taste.
• Serve the couscous in the gas'a with sauce on top as traditional style or in tagine etc. Usually we place the meat/chicken in place - 1 for each guest and decorate the couscous with the veg before ladling some of the sauce over the top.
• If you used the chilli, put it on a plate and let people help themselves to it!