Couscous Belboula Barley Couscous Recipes

VEGETABLE BARLEY COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Cook chickpeas:
• Soak dried chickpeas in 3 cups water at least 8 hours and up to 24.
• Drain soaked chickpeas and combine with 6 cups cold water in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
• Make broth while chickpeas cook:
• Lightly toast saffron in a dry small heavy skillet over moderately low heat, shaking skillet, just until fragrant, about 1 minute, then transfer to a small dish.
• Halve tomatoes and grate flesh on large round holes of a box grater, discarding skin.
• Put oil, grated tomato, onions, pepper, ginger, salt, tomato paste, and saffron in lower portion of couscoussière (or in 5- to 6-quart pot) and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add water and ras-el-hanout and bring broth to a simmer.
• Make couscous:
• While broth comes to a simmer, put couscous in a large wide bowl and toss with salt, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, rubbing grains between your palms to distribute oil. Sprinkle couscous with 1 cup tepid water, rubbing to evenly distribute and breaking up any lumps. Sprinkle top portion of couscoussière (if using a colander or steamer, line with cheesecloth) with couscous in an even, loose layer without packing.
• Set couscous over simmering broth and steam, uncovered, until steam rises up evenly over surface of couscous, about 10 minutes. Transfer couscous to cleaned bowl (reserving cheesecloth if using).
• Let stand until cool enough to handle, then sprinkle with 1 cup water again and gently rub couscous between palms. Let couscous stand 10 minutes.
• While couscous stands, add carrots and turnips to broth in couscoussière and return to a simmer.
• Return couscous to top of couscoussière and steam a second time, uncovered, in same manner, until steam rises evenly over surface, then transfer to bowl again (reserving cheesecloth). Stir just enough water (1/2 to 3/4 cup) into couscous to make it come together when a squeezed handful holds its shape without cracking. Let couscous stand, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• While couscous stands, add zucchini, cabbage, and butternut squash to broth and cook, covered, until vegetables are almost tender, then add cooked chickpeas.
• Rub remaining 2 tablespoons oil into couscous, then transfer to top of couscoussière and steam couscous a third time in same manner as above.
• Fry almonds during third steaming:
• Heat oil in a 7- to 8-inch skillet over moderate heat until just hot and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• To serve:
• Gently stir 1/2 teaspoon harissa into broth and serve couscous with vegetables, broth, fried almonds, honeyed red-onion confit, and harissa.

EASY LEMON COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium sauce pot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil.
• In a medium bowl, combine couscous and salt.
• Pour boiling broth over couscous and allow to sit, covered for 10 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed.
• Fluff couscous with a fork and serve immediately.

BARLEY COUSCOUS WITH SEVEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Prepare the couscous in a large, round, ovenproof dish as described on page 112, leaving the final heating in the oven to be done 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Cut the meat into 10 pieces and the onions into quarters, then into thick slices, and put them in a large pan with the drained chickpeas. Cover with about 6 pints of water, bring to the boil, and remove the scum. Add the pepper (no salt is added at this stage since it would stop the chickpeas from softening), saffron, cinnamon, and ginger and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Now put in the tomatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, potatoes, cut in half or left whole if small, and the whole chilies, if using. Add salt, and cook for 30 minutes, or until the meat is very tender.
• Add the celery, pumpkin, zucchini, cut into fat slices or left whole if they are baby ones, fava beans, and herbs. Add more water, if necessary, taste, and adjust the seasoning, and cook 30 minutes more.
• About 20 to 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time-when the last vegetables go in-put the couscous into the oven, preheated to 400°F, and heat through until it is steaming hot, taking it out and fluffing it with a fork after about 10 minutes. Before serving, fork the butter, cut into small pieces, into the couscous and fluff up the couscous as it melts in.
• To serve, moisten the couscous with a little broth and shape it into a cone with a crater at the top. Arrange some meat in the crater and some vegetables down the sides, then pour a little broth over the mound. Bring the remaining broth, meat, and vegetables to the table in another bowl. Alternatively, bring the couscous to the table in one dish, and the broth with the meat and vegetables in another, and serve them directly into individual bowls or soup plates.
• Use 2 chickens cut into pieces instead of the meat.
• For a peppery sauce, pass around a bowl with 3 to 4 ladles of the hot broth mixed with 1 tablespoon or more harissa or 2 tablespoons paprika and 1 teaspoon or more chili pepper. Although this was originally a Tunisian and Algerian custom, not Moroccan, the French like it as do some of us now.