COUSCOUS FOR THE WIN.

Couscous has many virtues; the best being that it can save your ass.

Couscous takes 5 to 10 minutes to go from cupboard to table. Basically all you have to do is boil the kettle, and there will be a golden, steamy pile of grainy, lemony gorgeousness in front of you. (Talking here of the tiny ‘instant’ couscous, not the larger pearl couscous).

This is why I love it so very much. It’s buttery on the tongue, light on the stomach, and entirely forgiving of a slightly distracted cook who has left it way too late to do anything else to go with dinner.

As you no doubt know, couscous isn’t a grain, but is made of durum wheat semolina, which makes it more of a pasta.  Because it has been pre-steamed and dried, it needs only to be rehydrated to be ready to eat.

Put it in a bowl, add the hot liquid, cover with foil or clingwrap, and keep it warm for 10 minutes or so. Fluff it up with a fork and you’re done.

Here’s the magic ratio of couscous to liquid:

1 part couscous to 1 part-plus-a-bit liquid.

So, 200 grams of couscous to 220 ml liquid, or 500 grams couscous to 550 ml liquid. Adding that extra little bit gives it a bit of a kick-along in the steaming department.

Some people swear by cooking couscous in a pot of boiling water or stock, but it doesn’t work for me. Even when I turn it off immediately after adding, all I get is glunk.

Now it’s just a matter of building in more flavour, like using a carroty vegetable stock instead of water. Sometimes I’ll add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil to the couscous and rub it between my fingers to coat the grains, or just throw in a tablespoon of butter and let the hot water melt it. Sea salt is good, a little cinnamon perhaps, fresh herbs, dried mint, grated lemon and orange zest. Sometimes I finely slice half a red onion and leave that in there to steam and soften as well, sometimes I just throw them over the top of the finished dish. Currants or sultanas are good, pistachios and preserved lemon are great.

The recipe here is for a festive couscous studded with preserved lemon, cranberries and pomegranate that’s destined to be a big part of my celebrations this year. Ask me over at any point from here until Christmas and I’ll bring it, because I know it will go with anything from prawns and lobster, to barbecued meats or a leg of ham. It can also be a beautiful stuffing for butternut pumpkin or eggplant as a meat-free main.

Looks magnificent, tastes wonderful, goes with everything, people love it.

Ass saved.

COUSCOUS FOR CHRISTMAS (OR WHENEVER)

• 200 g couscous, instant-style

• 220 ml boiling water from kettle, or hot stock

• Half tsp sea salt

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp dried cranberries or currants

• Half tsp turmeric

• half tsp smoked paprika

To serve:

• 1 cup picked mint, parsley, coriander, whatever

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds, drained

• 1 tbsp finely sliced preserved lemon skins

Combine the couscous and olive oil and sea salt in a heat-proof bowl, and rub the couscous between your fingers to coat with the oil.

Add dried fruit, turmeric and smoked paprika, and 220 ml boiling water from the kettle.

Stir quickly to combine, then cover the bowl with silver foil to trap the steam.

Leave in a warm place (a low or recently-turned-off oven) for 10 minutes.

Fluff up with a fork (like, really well, it gets fluffier the more you do it).

Turn out onto your serving platter, and scatter with herbs, preserved lemons and pomegranate. Serves 4 as a side.

Note that last step on presentation. Instead of tossing the couscous with all your goodies – which sort of makes them disappear - toss them over the top. Or mix, say, one-third of them through, and scatter with the rest. Looks spectacular.

NEXT WEEK: A BEAUTIFUL LAMB TAGINE TO SERVE WITH COUSCOUS.

Thanks for dropping by! And as always, thanks for your comments and suggestions. Special thanks to Terry for taking one look at the couscous and cooking up lamb tagine for dinner. That’s next week sorted.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and pay my respects to Elders past and present, and to the continuing strength and resilience of First Nations people.