In our country, in North Africa it has to be steamed twice so it doesn't stick to the throat when eating it. It will be soft an easy to be swollen. We add water to it gradually and finally when removing it from the steamer we put a little butter so it melt in it and add a tasty flavor
I dunno he used the steam of the boiling sauce to cook it but in the traditional way, the sauce cooks in a separate pot and it is added before eating it, in the serving plate, i e. The couscous have been already cooked without the sauce and it can be consumed alone( with sultanas or fresh grapes) or with a cup of milk- a special one that goes only with couscous and some other traditional dishes - Btw I'm not criticizing his way of cooking it , it can be good too 😁 but i mentioned how it's prepared originally.
None of these yummy suggestions apply here, since Chef John uses the pre-cooked variety, which only needs swelling for five minutes or so... Though he did coat it nicely with olive oil first... 😋
@@marie-suzankalogeropoulos9249 its his own way to cook it and everyone has his own. I personally prefer the one i grew up eating , the couscous turn out really light, soft and delicious 😁
Yes ! Thank you Chef ! this is so popular on picnics. When cold you can stuff it full of fresh herbs and add a little lemon juice and more olive oil. Great dish.
This is a really tasty summer dish. Back in Arizona I would get a baked chicken from the store and gussy up a package of Near East herb flavored couscous. A nice cold Pilsner flushed it down nicely.
You can make the same dish with "Finely Ground Bulgur" as well. It is a common dish we do in Turkey and we call it "Kisir". We use tomato paste in it as well and it is very refreshing salad type of dish we usually eat in summer.
i have almost all these ingredients with the exception of the type of couscous, i have the pearled version and defrosted some pork last night so im gonna give er a go and see what happens. Thank you as always!
When you posted that I get a vision of pork fried couscous. Without the couscous being fried. Cook everything else and dump it in the couscous. Gonna work that out.
I love how easy and quick this is without sacrificing healthy ingredients or flavour. I haven’t tried it yet but I think this might become a weeknight staple
Oh, I love couscous. Here in Brazil it is more commonly made with corn. I prefer it with slow cooked beef, but I see how wheat couscous could pair well with chicken. Also, only wheat couscous is leveled out, I guess, the corn type shouldn't be "leveled out" when hydrated, otherwise it would get clumpy, it must be fluffy all the way through the preparation. You just level it with the old shaka-shaka and the old tapa-tapa haha
Ha! That’s the most perfect description I’ve heard of his vocal delivery & lilting inflections... Love Chef John. He helps me cook and meditate at the same time...
I've recently discovered the joys of quick cooking couscous. I toast it in some olive oil first and set aside while I cook some cauliflower and bell pepper (and anything else you like) with spices of choice (I use ras el hanout often) and when the veggies are done, take them out and boil the broth (chicken broth & msg in my case) add the couscous, 5 minutes, add veggies to couscous and stir in some feta and done. 20 minutes tops and a killer meal.
So I made couscous for lunch today but not exactly as shown via recipe. So delicious though! It included shrimp, garlic, dukkah seasoning, fresh herbs and lemon and pine nuts. Basically technique + stuff in my kitchen= Fantastic!
I just made this, and wow! It has amazing flavors. I was worried about topping it with feta cheese, but the feta cheese really sets it off. It is a great dish for summer. It's filling without being heavy. I did have to alter how I made it because I have a family of five with one hungry teenage boy; so I made a quadruple batch. I did not use zucchini, and I baked it at 400 degrees in the steps listed as I used a huge cake dish to accommodate the quantity I made instead of doing it in a pan on the stove.
I make it tonight and it was Delicious, first time tasting the couscous . I am addicted to it now , it’s so good there’s so many different ways that you can actually fix a different meal
yes thank you!! it's quick and not many dishes, just my kind of recipe. this will make my simple meals a lot better. i often do couscous but with only water, not broth.
Looks great Chef John, I'll try it this summer.. I do something similar to this but with quinoa and also add whatever canned beans I have in the cupboard like chick peas, kidney beans etc..
One week ago I said I were going to try this and so I did today. Didn't have aubergine, so used normal cucumber instead and didn't have the cheese to top it of with. But after a first taste test, I decided to added a small squeeze of a lime. It was delicious. So simple, yet so good.
I just know they were aleppo chilli flakes at the end. I make something really similar frequently, but I like to use oregano and hit it with some lemon juice at the end!
I made sausage cous cous with a hot red pepper, garden beans, five little garden okras whole and onions and half a yellow garden petit pan squash. I sauteed the veggies in olive oil, added the cous cous when almost cooked, mixed well, and added to the broth which had knorr chicken powder, paprika, home-made garam masala, home made curry powder vegeta, two sausages and cumin powder. I covered the pan with the hot pan in which i sauteed the veggies. its steaming right now.
Chef John, nice recipe, I do prefer the thigh, I know my couscous is the right texture when after adding stock, it has the texture of wet sand, I prefer stock vs broth
If you ask me that chicken still looked a bit medium rare after he mixed everything in the bowl Edit: that piece in the middle exactly on 5:58 when he seasoned it with salt
@@bigfatchubbybritboy9445 ur right, but to do that the freshness and general hygiene during the whole processing of the chicken has to be waaay better than what you get in the supermarket
@@Ezolder1 The chicken would have continued to cook in the bowl. I guarantee you that by the time that hit anyone's plate the chicken would have been cooked to perfection. Besides, in my opinion, most people overcook chicken, fish, turkey etc. Chicken breast should not be dry and stringy when you slice it. Instead it should be moist and juicy and a tinge of pink will not kill you, or your guests. Where people run into problems with food poisoning is they will put cooked chicken back onto the same dish that held the raw chicken without washing the dish first. That's how people get sick.
Perfect for when you get in after work, want something more luxurious than sardines on toast or tuna porridge, but can't be arsed with anything requiring more than 15mins of attention. Great vid. I'd serve this with some oatcakes or savory biscuit/cracker and cottage cheese for a kind of dip.
I would change the preparation technique and put oil in the pot and sautee the diced chicken with all the vegetables, herbs and spices, and then finally had water. On a side note I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes smoked paprika.
Can agree to that method of cooking couscous. i do it regularly. In fact I got it down to cooking in a tea mug, half filled with boiled water, some sauces / spices, then pouring in the couscous just to the point where you start seeing it piling up. (I could measure this, but I always eyeball it lol) I also sometimes microwave it for a little extra blast for 1:30min with plate on top, really helps fluff it up just that little better. Just a warning, if you do try this and eyeball it, be prepared to make a mess the first time by putting in too much water / not enough couscous, place a plate below it lol Such an easy ingredient to work with though, and just absorbs so much flavor;
Omg, I make a same quick couscous meal with Shrimps.. its basically the same steps.. I just pre saute veggies as Shrimps cook so fast.. will try with chicken now..
Wow I actually just cooked this today and than you made this video ! I actually did mine with a "ratatouille" like veggie base, which was peppers, zuccinis, tomatoes and eggplant with herbs. The kids love it too
Well, as I was in the middle of typing a comment/suggestion about chilling it for cold salad, you mentioned it. 😄😍 Maybe with some of the dressing from the recent pasta salad. Yummer summer!
Just made this. I didn't use zucchini, because I hate it, and I nearly doubled the quantities of everything to fit the amount of couscous in the bags found at my local supermarket [do they sell tiny 1.25 cup bags in the US?]. Very nice, satisfying and colorful dish. Nothing fancy, but still good
This. Is Amazingly. Quick!!! I'd love to stuff it into some peppers and finish them in the oven. I guess that's gonna be the perfect side dish for some veggie stew, don't ya think so?
I love giant cous cous! I fry onions bacon, add herbs, black pepper, paprika,(sometimes sumac). Put the bacon and onions to the side of the pan, add a little more oil, add the cous cous in the oil side fry for about 1 min (make sure nothing burns!!the cous cous should turn golden) deglaze with wine, add frozen peas(optional) , and bay leafs, sometimes i add water ( you need to guesstimate) I bring to a boil then I turn off the pan with with the lid on and let the cous cous sop in the moisture. Its super quick and easy, I used to cook it all the time but can't find giant cous cous cheap anymore. It's so delicious and has a satisfying texture if cooked properly. Sorta lile tapioca pearls in bubble tea but bacony, winey and delicious.
Always thought I hate couscous (after trying it on plane to some middle east country years ago). But decided to give it a second chance after this video. Chef John is a Master! Not only in making these brilliant dishes, but also in presenting them so that everyone would want to try them! Made it today and everyone loved it! I love couscous from now on!!! Thank you Chef John 👍
What if you have some saffron hanging about in the cupboard waiting for something interesting to do? Such as this couscous. Or maybe some fennel pollen?
I'd guess tightening the foil hermetically allows for those five minutes to steam things up properly? Just the plates temperature to rise means more condensation, and less moisture for the grain? Just guessing...
@@marie-suzankalogeropoulos9249 .....I saw one tv cook place a cotton towel over the pot then put a lid over it, which absorbed the steam. No condensation dripping back onto the food. A large plate or any makeshift covering would also do in a pinch.
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@@flamingpieherman9822 ....I don't see why not....I add a spoonful or two when cooking rice. Be sure to carefully rinse the quinoa well to eliminate any bitterness. Quinoa should be cooked in a flavored broth, imo. Otherwise it smells like bird seed, prob tastes like it too.
