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Couscous: A traditional north Africa dish made with a hard wheat semolina and sometimes with barley or, in Tunisia, with green wheat. It was discovered by the French during the reign of Charles X during the conquest of Algeria. There is still some doubt about the original meaning of the word, which is derived from the Arabic kouskous. Some experts believe that the word was originally used for the food in a bird's beak used to feed its young. Léon Isnard, who considers that it is the Galic form of rac keskes ('to pound until small'), maintains that it is derived phonetically from the words koskos, keuscass, koskosou and kouskous, used in different parts of north Africa for a cooking pot in which semolina is steamed. Made od earthenware or alpha glass, the pot, which is pierced with holes, sits on top of another similar pot containing water or stock. Other experts believe that the sound of the word describes the noise made by the steam as it passes through the holes in the pot.

Couscous (in Arabic: t' âam) is the national dish of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It is served in Algeria after the méchoui (the barbecued food) and in Morocco after the tajines. The grain is shaped into small balls with the fingers and quickly put in the mouth. Even though the basic components are the same in all three countries - semolina and stock (or marga) - the ingredients vary. In Algeria, couscous is served with chickpeas, broad (fava) beans, a wide variety of other vegetables, including artichokes, courgettes (zucchini), potatoes, aubergines (eggplants), chard, fennel and peas and sometimes meat. Mesfouf, a couscous made with fresh broad beans and raisins, is served at dawn during the month of Ramadan. It is eaten while drinking whey (leben) or curdled milk (raïb). Saharan couscous is served without vegetable or stock. In Tunisia, couscous can be made with rabbit, partridge, or mutton, but chickpeas are an essential ingredient. The most original recipe is for couscous made with fish (such as sea bream or groupers), but there is also a type of couscous in which the meat, fish and vegetable are replaced by raisins, almonds, pistachios, dates and walnuts, which are mixed with fresh milk and sprinkled with sugar. In Morocco couscous is served with chicken and (usually) two stocks - one to moisten the semolina, the otheer (seasoned with red pepper) to spice it. The numerous infredients (turnips, courgettes, raisins, chickpeas, onions, etc.) are cooked for a very long time until they are reduced to a sort of mush. Another Moroccan recipe is for sweet couscous flavoured with cinnamon.

Whatever the variations in each country, there are two rules that must be observed in the preparation of an authentic couscous. First, the grain must be of the right quality and consistency, which depends on the on the art of the rollingthe grain by hand and cooking of the semolina correctly. Secondly, the vegetables and spices used to prepare the stock must be carefully choosen to give the meat its unique flavour.

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