When is couscous done

No peeking! This is the fun part. Grab a fork and open that lid. The couscous should have soaked up all of that flavorful stock. The tiny couscous kernels tend to stick together as they cook, so use the fork to gently fluff the couscous a bit. A fork for fluffing. A liquid measuring cup. Or Was it Truly Perfect Couscous? Print Recipe Pin Recipe.

Method Bring chicken stock, olive oil and salt to a boil. Nutrition Info Per Serving Amount. Ask a Question or. Questions Reviews 1 Avg: 5. Any questions? It has a nutty, sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with stews, braises, and grilled or roasted veggies. But there are a lot of mistakes being made and crimes against couscous being committed as this grain joins the mainstream.

Here they are, and here's how to fix 'em. Never, ever, ever use plain water to cook your couscous, says Andy Baraghani , BA's senior food editor. Using larger spices and aromatics allows you to easily fish them out of the grains once they're cooked. Optional: Baraghani prefers to cook couscous using a traditional steaming method: He places a sieve filled with dampened grains over two inches of seasoned water, brings it to a simmer, covers, and steams for 15 minutes before fluffing.

This process is repeated two more times before serving. When the granules have absorbed all the liquid, fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and serve. Any of these works well:. Or, instead of adding flavor to the water, substitute vegetable or chicken broth for the water instead!

I've made a lot of couscous when testing recipes, and through all of that cooking I picked up on these 5 mistakes to avoid in the pursuit of perfect couscous. Although couscous looks like a grain, it's actually pasta. Make sure what you're buying is whole-grain. You'll get an added boost of fiber. You may also notice Israeli couscous at the supermarket. This kind of couscous has larger granules and cooks differently than the smaller variety, and it is also not whole-grain.