The secret of a good couscous – Travel souvenir
Souss Massa recipes / 1 hour preparation
Every Friday, the same ritual takes place in most of the region’s kitchens. Early in the morning, we prepare the couscous which will be served at noon after the great prayer in the mosque. Couscous is to be tasted with the traditional “Lben”, a real treat for young and old alike.
We offer you a simple and original recipe that is also called Couscous Tfaya.
It is composed of a chicken, wheat semolina mixed with a little butter, caramelized onions and raisins for an incomparable flavor.
To make a delicious Tfaya couscous (8 to 10 people):
• 1 kg of medium couscous • 3 small red onions • 1 whole chicken • 3 tablespoons of olive oil + 1 teaspoon of rancid butter • Saffron • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 ground ginger • 1 small bowl of chickpeas to soak the day before • 1 bunch of coriander • A little water
• 1 kg of red onions • 250 g of raisins • ½ glass of honey • 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water • 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 of rancid butter • 1 teaspoon of ginger ground, 1 cinnamon and 1 turmeric • ½ teaspoon of pepper • Salt (to your liking) Once all the ingredients are combined, you can start the preparation. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
1 – Place the whole or cut chicken, the chopped onions, the spices with the cinnamon sticks, the oil, the rancid butter and the salt in a pot. Simmer for at least 10 minutes over medium heat. You can put your chickpeas at this time if they are not cooked. Add water and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
2- Clean the dry grounds and put them in lukewarm water for 15 minutes before draining them.
3 – Add the chopped onions, butter, rancid butter, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and orange blossom water to another pot. Leave to cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Then add the honey, stirring until the onions are caramelized. Add a little chicken sauce if needed so that the onions don’t burn.
4 – Put the couscous and 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep dish. Work the semolina with your fingers to coat it with oil. Sprinkle with a little water. You can then put it in a couscoussier for about 15 minutes.
5 – Pour it back into the dish, work it with a little more water with a pinch of salt. Return it to cook for about 15 minutes. Repeat a third time. Once the couscous seeds are well cooked, you can add the butter.
6 – Once the seeds are well cooked and coated with butter, form a dome with the semolina in the center of a large flat dish. Make a small hollow in the middle to place the pieces of chicken, the chickpeas then on top the caramelized onions and the raisins. You can then add decoration with toasted almonds and nicely quartered hard-boiled eggs.
7 – Some people add the chicken sauce directly on it, it is better to put it in small bowls so that each guest has sauce as they wish!
You can now serve hot and enjoy with your loved ones.