Traditional Couscous

Why This Traditional Couscous Works

As the couscous sits in the hot chicken broth, each grain soaks up the liquid and swells. The broth, oil, and salt move inside the couscous, so it ends up soft and fluffy instead of sticky. Letting it rest off the heat keeps the grains separate, and a quick fluff with a fork breaks up any clumps.

In the other pot, browning the lamb first gives the outside a bit of a crust while the inside stays moist. Once the onion and garlic go in, they soften and lose their sharp bite, so they blend into the stew instead of standing out. As the carrots, zucchini, and chickpeas simmer with the lamb, they slowly soften and take on the spices and cooking liquid.

Over the 40 minutes of simmering, the water and spices sink into the lamb, so it becomes tender and easy to bite. Raisins plump up in the hot stew, and the toasted almonds stay crunchy on top. When everything is spooned over the couscous, the soft grains soak up the juices, while the nuts and cilantro add a fresh, crisp finish.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the lamb simmer for less than the full time leaves the cubes tough and chewy. The connective tissue doesn’t have time to soften in the liquid, so the stew feels hard to cut and bite, even though the vegetables around it are soft.

Starting the lamb in a pot that isn’t hot enough stops it from browning properly. The meat then steams in its own juices instead of getting a good sear, so the stew liquid stays pale and thin and the lamb tastes flat and watery.

Adding the carrots and zucchini too early and simmering them the whole 40 minutes makes them collapse. The carrots lose their bite and the zucchini turns mushy, so the stew turns into a soft, almost baby-food texture that sinks into the couscous.

Letting the couscous sit covered for much longer than 5–10 minutes causes it to clump and turn sticky. The grains stick together instead of staying loose and fluffy, so the stew sits on a dense mound instead of light couscous.