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.
