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Couscous
Couscous preparation with two cooking options: boiled or steamed.
boiled
side dish
vegetarian
Ingredients
Servings
1

Couscous

Couscous ingredients.

  • about 70 g/personcouscous
  • same weight of waterwater
  • a pinch salt
  • 8 g/80 g couscous butter
Nutritional Information

Per serving

Calculated for 1 servings

Calories
321 kcal
Protein
9 g
Fat
6.9 g
Carbohydrates
54.2 g

Calculated from reviewed ingredient weights and pinned USDA FoodData Central records.

Step-by-step Guide

Boiled

Cooking method according to the Terrassa course «SU23.11 Espai de cuina».

  1. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. When it comes to a boil, add a little salt.
  3. When the water is boiling, add the couscous and stir it with a spatula as little as possible, as it should not be stirred.
  4. Turn off the heat and let the couscous rest for 5 to 7 minutes, following the instructions on the manufacturer's label.
  5. Transfer the couscous to a glass bowl.
  6. Add a few cubes of butter, but not too much.
  7. Gently stir with 2 forks, overlapping the tines as if they were fingers, until the grains are separated.
  8. If you want to make it cold for a salad, once it is cold you will need to separate the grains again with two forks.

Steamed

Cooking method according to some videos consulted.

  1. Bring water to a boil in the steamer pot; it is better to use vegetable broth or vegetable-and-meat broth.
  2. Separately, place the dry couscous in a glass bowl, add a little salt, and mix.
  3. Then add the cold water to hydrate it and mix with your fingers.
  4. Let it hydrate for 3 minutes.
  5. Place double aluminum foil around the edges of the pot so that it seals better and steam does not escape.
  6. Transfer the couscous to the perforated insert of the steamer pot; if the holes are too large, you will need to line it with a clean kitchen cloth so the couscous does not escape.
  7. Cover the pot and steam the couscous for 10 minutes.
  8. Transfer the couscous back to the glass bowl.
  9. Add a few cubes of room-temperature butter, 10 g of butter for every 100 g of couscous, and mix with your fingers; wear gloves, as it will be very hot, or mix with two forks, overlapping the tines as if they were fingers, until the grains are separated.
  10. Return the couscous to the perforated insert of the steamer pot and steam it for 10 more minutes.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Use the same weight of water as couscous semolina.
  • With plenty of vegetables or salad, about 70 g per person is enough; with little accompaniment, 80–90 g per person.
Original recipe
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    Couscous | The Catalan Table