[Koukouvagia]

I made it once - simmered it in chicken stock, seasoned with salt/pepper. Loved the taste/texture but a bit boring.

I'm planning on making grilled chicken/breast with either a cumin rub or a masala rub. Any suggestions how to jazz up my accompanying couscous?

[Blueicus]

Going along with the theme I would dress the pasta up with some freshly chopped herbs (parsley, coriander), chopped tomatoes, a good drizzle of good olive oil, and lemon juice. Don't be afraid to season it further with salt and pepper. If you want you can also put some of the spices you put on your chicken in the couscous as well.

[KYHeirloomer]

I don't understand, Koukouvagia, why you'd find it any more or less boring than standard couscous.

It's the same pasta dough; just passed through a courser screen, is all, so that it's bigger. But it cooks the same, tastes the same, and can be flavored like any other couscous---or like any other pasta, for that matter.

For your dish I would, for starters, cook the couscous in chicken stock, rather than water. When it's cooked, melt in some butter (or evoo), salt and pepper. Maybe a squirt of lemon juice to brighten it up.

Then serve the chicken on a bed of the couscous.

I wouldn't flavor the couscous too much, because you don't want it conflicting with the chicken, itself.

[phatch]

The Sudanese do a booth every year at the local internation culture fair. They serve this Israeli style couscous with spiced onions and spinach. The spices are vaguely indian, meaning cumin, coriander a bit of cinnamon and it gets hard to be sure from there.

Looks are not this dish's strong point but it tastes great.

You could probably use any other greens that strike your fancy besides spinach.

[Koukouvagia]

I don't find cous cous boring, I find that the way I prepared it was boring - chicken stock, salt/pepper. Honestly I'm new to cous cous. I've eaten the regular kind but I'm not a fan of the size/texture of it and I really like the israeli cous cous because it is large.

So let's get this straight. Couscous = pasta? Like as in the same dough used to make linguine? Well then this changes everything! I KNOW pasta. I guess I've just been reluctant to experiment because I figured "couscous" calls for a flavor base that is still quite foreign to me (like tumeric etc).

When would I add the flavorings? Could I sautee onion/garlic and add the couscous like you would risotto and then add the stock? Or cook in the stock first and then add flavorings later? Thanks for the help.

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

I don't understand, Koukouvagia, why you'd find it any more or less boring than standard couscous.

It's the same pasta dough; just passed through a courser screen, is all, so that it's bigger. But it cooks the same, tastes the same, and can be flavored like any other couscous---or like any other pasta, for that matter.

For your dish I would, for starters, cook the couscous in chicken stock, rather than water. When it's cooked, melt in some butter (or evoo), salt and pepper. Maybe a squirt of lemon juice to brighten it up.

Then serve the chicken on a bed of the couscous.

I wouldn't flavor the couscous too much, because you don't want it conflicting with the chicken, itself.

[KYHeirloomer]

Yes, cous cous is, at base, a pasta made from semolina flour. Like any pasta, it will happily combine with any flavorings you care to mix in.

To visually see this for yourself, imagine a single grain of orzo. Mentally cut that in half and round it off. Israeli cous cous would be almost that size, but otherwise samee-same.

As to when to add flavorings, it depends. In it's homeland (i.e., North Africa), cous cous is made in a special pot called a couscousier. This has a strainer-like bottom, and the whole thing sits on top of another pot, where steam from the stew (or whatever is being cooked) rises into the grains. Made "correctly," cous cous also goes through several wettings, and the grains separated with the fingertips each time. But you don't want to get into that.

That idea, I find, works well. I usually make cous cous seperately from other major additives. The liquid might be flavored. But things like onions, other cooked veggies, fruits, etc. are added after the cous cous is cooked.

But you don't have to do it that way. No reason not to make it like a risotto, if that's your preference. Just watch the timing, because cous cous absorbs liquid fairly quickly.

[Koukouvagia]

Turned out well. I sauteed some shallots and garlic in olive oil, tossed in some frozen peas and then stirred in the wholewheat couscous. I added the chicken stock and let it absorb it. Fluffed with a fork and served alongside a grilled chicken breast seasoned with cumin and a simple romaine salad. Delicious!

[KYHeirloomer]

Glad it worked out for you.

[hgko]

chopped garlic + onion, saute in butter, add the couscous, so it can take flavour and make crust, then add chicken stock, when is almost ready, add a bit of lime juice, i find that easy, fast, and VERY tasteful, u can acompany grilled meat.

[Arianna]

Although this is an older post, for anyone interested in spicing up their couscous, here's a recipe from Casablanca (the place not the movie): recipe for couscous Beidaoui