Tunisian Couscous

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Couscous is a staple grain consumed in many Mediterranean countries.  The process of preparing couscous is a long and laborious one.  Couscous is a coarse-grained semolina pasta that traditionally would be steamed, then fluffed with a fork to aerate it, set it aside while preparing the vegetables and/or meat to be served over it.  Nowadays, couscous is available as a quick-cooking food, greatly shortening the preparation time.

Preparing couscous can be a fairly simple and straight-forward affair.  If eaten as a vegetarian dish, one would clean and cut up some favorite vegetables, like carrots, onions, tomatoes, squashes and eggplant, add some olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them either in a hot oven or over a fire, then serve directly over the couscous.  If one were to add meat, one would prepare the stew as usual, and add it over the top of the couscous, or served along the sides of the dish.  Either way, it is a festive and hearty meal.