Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Shrimp and Vegetable Couscous – Ancient and Easy

Couscous is a tiny, granular type of wheat pasta, which is as delicious, as it is simple to prepare. It’s origins go back thousands of years and while usually considered a Moroccan dish, this is also a staple in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The amazing thing about couscous is how fast it “cooks,” and how versatile it is. This is one of those recipe clips that should give you lots of ideas regarding ways to vary it to create your own combinations. By the way, this is the “home” version, the real traditional method used to cook this dish uses a steamer called a “kiska,” sometimes called a “couscoussier” in French cuisine.

A few very important keys as you watch the clip: Make sure the “grains” of the couscous are coated with the olive oil, as this will keep it fluffy and separate. Also, as soon as you pour the hot stock over the couscous, wrap with foil IMMEDIATELY and TIGHTLY, and don’t touch it for 5 minutes! Most supermarket couscous will call for the basic 1 to 1 ratio of stock to dry couscous, but be sure to read the instructions.



Ingredients:
2 Cups Couscous
2 1/3 Cups Cold Water
1 Pound Raw Shrimp (With Shells)
1/2 Cup Diced Tomato
2 Green Zuchinni
1 Eggplant
1/2 Bunch Tarragon
1/2 Bunch Dill
Pepper
Salt
Cayenne
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Lemon To Garnish

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now, that looks great. Thanks for the great ideas. Feel free to visit my blog at http://whatscooking.us

Happy cooking!

Chef John said...

i will, lets trade links!

Mrs. Bo said...

I just cooked the dish for dinner. Oh my god, it was very delicious and easy! This would be my signature dish at home from now on.

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

oooh! this dish was good. my whole family loved it. i added CUMIN to the recipe.. and i added LEMON to the broth... i also marinated the shrimps in lemon, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and dill. i didnt use tarragon.. the dish was superb. YOU SHOULD REALLY ADD LEMON! it gives it a zesty flavor. so good~! :)

Chef John said...

did you see the lemon wedge in the photo? i do eat with fresh lemon...youre right,its nice.

Julia said...

You've forgotten to add the 4 cloves of garlic to the ingredients here... :(

Gonna try this recipe tomorrow )

P.S. Chef John, I'm in love with your videos, they're as great as you are. Thanks so much for all your work!!!

Jenna said...

Not the most attractive dish but it's really yummy! Just made for dinner tonight (in this heat GAH!) and is a hit! I bet this will be just as good tomorrow for cold salad!