Couscous

[Lefty Guns]

Any tips for seasoning?

I tried a recipe last night which used half apple-juice and half water, some butter, finely chopped onion, green pepper, red chilli and some sultanas. Bit dull to be honest.

Any suggestions for spices to add?

Ta

[escargot]

Couscous can take a lot of S&P so don't be shy with it.

Also, as an aside, you could try roasting the peppers/toms first to give a different taste.

[prand]

If I'm making couscous for salad (like tabbouleh which uses bulgur wheat) I use vinegar, or salad dressing in addition to 1 cup water 1 cup couscous, then add chopped tomatoes, onion, mint, parsley, cucumber, courgette, peppers etc etc. Salt & pepper is pobviously a good addition. Yoghurt dressing goes well too.

If I'm making couscous as an accompaniment for a main dish I often have it plain, sometimes add fried onions or sultanas if I feel like making it look interesting, and sometimes add half a stock cube to give it some flavour.

The French have a steamer contraption called a "couscoussier" which you sit on top of your boiling lamb stew etc which steams the couscous. It also takes on the flavour of the meat dish coming from below.

[Rude Girl]

Try cumin/cinnamon/chilli flakes, bit of vegetable bouillon powder and lots of S&P

[Plotloss]

Rude Girl said:

Try cumin/cinnamon/chilli flakes, bit of vegetable bouillon powder and lots of S&P

(though no salt, theres already more than enough in the veg stock)

And the key with couscous.

Lemon juice.

[Lefty Guns]

All good suggestions chaps (and chapess).

Thanks!

[Rude Girl]

Plotloss said:

(though no salt, theres already more than enough in the veg stock)

Oops. TBH I don't put either in, just chopped coriander, chilli flakes, maybe a bit of other spice. But that's because I normally serve it with stuff with very strong flavours. I know I'm going to get beatings from you for this, but I just treat it as something to soak up the sauce with unless it's for a BBQ, in which case it gets the contents of the bottom drawer of the fridge thrown in

[escargot]

God I love Tabbouleh. We always have that in France.

Never seen it over here though or is it just simply soaking a load of bulgur wheat?

Edited by escargot on Thursday 26th March 11:03

[Plotloss]

escargot said:

God I love Tabbouleh. We always have that in France.

Never seen it over here though or is it just simply soaking a load of bulgur wheat?

Edited by escargot on Thursday 26th March 11:03

255g/9oz bulgar wheat
30g/1oz fresh basil, chopped
30g/1oz fresh coriander, chopped
30g/1oz fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 lemons, juice only
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

'er indoors makes it a lot in the summer.

[Penny-lope]

Plotloss said:

escargot said:

God I love Tabbouleh. We always have that in France.

Never seen it over here though or is it just simply soaking a load of bulgur wheat?

Edited by escargot on Thursday 26th March 11:03

255g/9oz bulgar wheat
30g/1oz fresh basil, chopped
30g/1oz fresh coriander, chopped
30g/1oz fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 lemons, juice only
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

'er indoors makes it a lot in the summer.

Don't forget the Feta

[escargot]

Plotloss said:

escargot said:

God I love Tabbouleh. We always have that in France.

Never seen it over here though or is it just simply soaking a load of bulgur wheat?

Edited by escargot on Thursday 26th March 11:03

255g/9oz bulgar wheat
30g/1oz fresh basil, chopped
30g/1oz fresh coriander, chopped
30g/1oz fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 lemons, juice only
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

'er indoors makes it a lot in the summer.

Ta Plotters. I'll be giving that a bash this weekend.

[Lefty Guns]

Me too, I hope it's better than I did last night!

[escargot]

Actually, I might combine it with a decent steak or something.

[marctwo]

Toast some sunflower seeds in a pan and add them once the Couscous is done. Also, use vegetable stock instead of water.

[Lefty Guns]

escargot said:

Actually, I might combine it with a decent steak or something.

I actually think couscous suits Lamb better than Cow. Each to their own though...

Edited by Lefty Guns on Thursday 26th March 11:34

[escargot]

Lefty Guns said:

escargot said:

Actually, I might combine it with a decent steak or something.

I actually couscous suits Lamb better than Cow. Each to their own though...

Quite. Though when we have tabbouleh in France, it's usually combined with a bbq of epic proportions.

[Plotloss]

Great with couscous
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabab_Koobideh

[Lefty Guns]

wikipedia said:

In Algeria it is also served, sometimes at the end of a meal or just by itself, as a delicacy called "Seffa". The couscous is usually steamed several times until it is very fluffy and pale in color. It is then sprinkled with almonds, cinnamon and sugar. Traditionally, this dessert will be served with milk perfumed with orange blossom water, or it can be served plain with buttermilk in a bowl as a cold light soup for supper.

Mmmmmmmmmm

[Plotloss]

Oh and throw some mint in the garden unfettered, so it goes mad and you end up with tonnes of it.

Then you have the glory of making your own mint tea.

Which is just ace.

[Patrico]

escargot said:

God I love Tabbouleh. We always have that in France.

Never seen it over here though or is it just simply soaking a load of bulgur wheat?

Edited by escargot on Thursday 26th March 11:03

bulgar, skinned and seeded tomato, mint, flat leaf parsley, red onion, olive oil, pepper, lemon juice. made some last sunday, 1st batch of the year.