Couscous, Kuskus or Cuscus

There are two autonomous Spanish cities in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla. The foods and flavors of those two cities are influenced by Andalusia and Moorish cooking since those cities have a mixed population - Arabic, Spanish, Jewish and Indian. This mix is manifested in their gastronomy with one dish being couscous. This recipe come from friends of my husband's family who owned a hotel in Tangier and I thought it appropriate. We have adapted it slightly. Couscous is a berber semolina, eaten mostly in the Maghreb, Northern Morocco and Algeria.

The dish is name after the grain

We use a couscous maker, a couscoussier, a deep pan where you cook the meats and vegetables, and on top goes another pan with small holes where you will steam the couscous with the aromas of the meats and veggies.  The top pan is covered with a lid.

This is our "couscoussier" 

You can serve the couscous in a Tagine, an earthenware dish, with the grain on the bottom and the veggies and meats on top or you can serve it in two tagines, one for the grain and the other for the meats and veggies.

"Tagines" from Tangier and Tetuan 

Ingredients:

1 lb. Lamb cut in serving pieces
2 lb. Chicken cut in serving pieces
Olive Oil
1 can Chick Peas (Garbanzos)
1 can Tomatoes, diced
1 large Green Pepper, diced
1/2 Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 Carrots, sliced
10 oz. Green Peas
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Prunes
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/8 tsp. Saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups Couscous grain
2 cups Water
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Olive Oil 

Cook meats and set aside.  Cook vegetables for 25 minutes and add meats.  Mix couscous grain with water, salt and oil and put in top steamer. Cover and cook both parts 20 minutes more.

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