Moroccan Couscous

[cassoulady]

I bought some Moroccan couscous today. It is larger than regular couscous and israeli couscous- like the size of small peas. there are no cooking instuctions on the bag. The man at the store said, "they double in size" but had no indication of water to cous cous ratio or time- any tips?

thanks CH.

[cassoulady]

i served it tonight, with some mint and lemon zest with a pepper crusted seared tuna. I think I could have cooked it longer but it was great, a nice change from typical startches

[Caroline1]

Basically, you boil it in water like any other pasta, then what you do with it is up to you. Unlike traditional "true" Moroccan couscous that is prepared by steaming in a couscousier, the larger sizes have difficulty absorbing enough moisture. Have fun! As GHG says, lots of recipes on the web. I think of it as the large tapioca of the pasta world.

[goodhealthgourmet]

it's Lebanese couscous (also sometimes called pearl couscous).

the cooking time will vary depending on the other ingredients in the recipe and how much liquid you're using...if you Google "moghrabieh" you'll find recipes/instructions.

[cassoulady]

thanks GHG!

[goodhealthgourmet]

you're quite welcome!

BTW, i personally think the size and density of those particular couscous pearls makes them ideal for a stew-type recipe.