Couscous (with recipe)

      The basic dish of North African cuisine, couscous can be extremely intricate to prepare, or utterly simple, depending on your approach. This is a semolina made from hard durum wheat – rich in gluten and protein – coarsely ground, but finer than either bulgur or cracked wheat. The traditional manner of preparing couscous calls for a couscousiere, a colander tightly fitted over a base pot; a meat stew is placed in the bottom, and the couscous goes in the colander top to cook in the steam of the stew.

      Here is a simple dish that can be made with ordinary Western kitchen utensils. Perhaps it will inspire you to delve into the more complex aspects of traditional couscous preparation.

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COUSCOUS WITH SHRIMP

1 cup couscous

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups boiling water

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

5 tablespoon butter

6 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• Sauté couscous in 2 tablespoons butter for 1 minute; then add boiling water and simmer, while stirring, for about 3 minutes. Cover, and let sit for 15 minutes while you cook the shrimp.
• Sauté the shrimp in 5 tablespoons butter, soy sauce, and chopped ginger for approximately 5 minutes, depending on size of shrimp. When shrimp is cooked (firm but tender), stir in the couscous. Serve this quick and delicious main course with a large fresh salad.
• Serves four.