Fluffy couscous

Ingredients

• 400 g fine couscous (not the pre-rolled instant type — proper Moroccan couscous)
• 400 ml cold water
• 1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt

To serve (optional)

• a knob of butter
• a handful of dried fruit (sultanas, apricots)
• toasted almonds or pine nuts
• a drizzle of harissa

Method

1. Hydrate the couscous. Pour the couscous into a large wide bowl. Add the cold water and 1 tbsp olive oil (or butter) and 1 tsp salt. Mix thoroughly with your hands — every grain should be coated in oil and wet. Leave to absorb for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The couscous will have swollen and the grains will be visible and separate.
2. First steam. Transfer the hydrated couscous to a steamer (a conical couscous steamer if you have one, or a fine-mesh colander lined with a clean cloth). Set over a pan of barely simmering water (the water should not touch the couscous). Cover with the lid or a clean cloth and steam for 15 minutes.
3. Fluff and rest. Remove from heat. Tip the steamed couscous back into the wide bowl. Use a fork to fluff and separate the grains — bang the fork against the sides of the bowl to break up any clumps. The steam will have opened up the grains and made them light. Rest for 5 minutes.
4. Second steam (the professional touch). Return the fluffed couscous to the steamer for a further 8–10 minutes. This second steam is what makes the difference between restaurant-quality fluffy couscous and home-style clumpy couscous.
5. Final fluff and serve. Tip back into the bowl. Fluff again with a fork. Add a knob of butter if using and fold through gently. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Two steams are non-negotiable. This is the professional technique and it works. The first steam cooks the couscous; the second steam dries it out and separates the grains. Skipping the second steam gives you a dense, clumpy result.
• Use proper Moroccan couscous, not instant. Instant couscous (which has already been steamed and dried by the manufacturer) only needs a 5-minute rehydration — don’t apply the two-steam method to instant couscous or it will dry out completely. If the packet says “no cooking required” or “just add boiling water”, it’s instant.
• Oil or butter in the initial hydration is what makes the difference to the final texture — it coats each grain and prevents them from sticking together as they steam.
• Don’t add the couscous directly to the tagine liquid. Serve it in a separate bowl alongside the tagine. If you add it to the cooking liquid, it will absorb too much sauce and lose its character.
• For a sweet version (served with lamb tagine with dried fruit), add sultanas and a pinch of cinnamon to the second steam, or fold through toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey after cooking.