Recipes From The Wooden Spoon

Cous Cous is to Turkey as rice is to Asia. Long have they used cous cous, as it is easy to pick up and eat with the hands, and holds flavor well; it is also less expensive than rice (being a pasta).  According to the anonymous thirteenth-century Hispano-Muslim cookery book "Kitab al-tabikh fi al-Maghrib wa'l-Andalus, “Cous cous is a staple food in the Maghrib that requires very little in the way of utensils for its preparation. It is an ideal food for both nomadic and agricultural peoples. The preparation of couscous is one that symbolizes "happiness and abundance…" * This recipe is based off a traditional Moroccan recipe (sans the nuts) and a chicken cous cous dish that I grew up with.

Tavuk Cous Cous ile Sebze (Chicken couscous with vegetables)

1 c French couscous

3-4 thighs, de-boned and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 carrots minced

½ c chopped spinach, (if using frozen) thawed and drained

½ c sweet peas

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

½ c golden raisins

½ chopped dried apricots

Spices = ¼ to ½ tsp each to taste

            Grains of paradise, ground

Cinnamon, ground

            Celery seed, ground

            Caraway seed (opt) ground

Lemon rind, julienne (opt)

Chicken stock/broth, about 2 cups

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Heat a dutch oven and add 1 Tbsp olive oil and quickly sauté onions, garlic, carrots and a pinch of salt until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add 2 Tbsps olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Meanwhile mix the spices, salt and pepper with the chicken and brown the pieces in the dutch oven. Remove and add about ½ cup of the stock to deglaze the pan, then return the chicken, chickpeas, peas, spinach, ½ the golden raisins, ½ the apricots and the onion mixture. Stir to combine, cook 10 minutes and add 1 cup of chicken stock (or broth). Bring to a boil and pour cous cous over the top of the mixture as well as the remaining raisins and apricots. Cover tightly and reduce head to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes (no peeking). Cous cous is done when it is puffed up (about double it’s original size). Fluff the cous cous and serve. Grilled pita goes well with this.