EPISODE 1 — HAND-ROLLING THE COUSCOUS

Our new series is devoted to traditional couscous. We’ll begin by hand-rolling the semolina, before exploring vegetable, fish, and meat variations. The first and most important step is shaping the couscous grains by hand. For this process, we need non-instant semolina, water, and a spoon. We’ll also need a large, shallow pan that gives us enough room to work the semolina. Place the semolina in the pan. You’ll find the exact quantities and complete method in the description. Sprinkle in a little water at a time and begin rolling the grains with circular movements. Hand-rolling couscous is a genuine culinary technique, passed down from one generation to the next. Reading about it isn’t enough: you need to observe how the grains are worked. With experience, you can tell whether the couscous is ready simply by touching it. The Sicilian term “incocciare” describes the process of gradually bringing the tiny grains together. Starting with a single grain of semolina, we gradually encourage the others to adhere to it. The key is to avoid adding too much water. The semolina should be neither too dry nor too wet, but perfectly balanced. These circular movements bind the grains together while allowing them to dry. If the mixture becomes too wet, simply add a little more semolina. Here you can see the difference between the semolina before and after hand-rolling. There is no exact processing time: it depends on both the semolina and the amount of water used. It should feel moist without being wet, and dry without being completely dehydrated. Spread the couscous over a clean cloth and leave it to dry for at least two hours. This drying stage is essential for achieving a well-defined texture. Two hours have passed. Our couscous is dry and ready to be cooked. This tall pot and colander will replace the traditional couscous steamer. The colander must never come into contact with the water below. Before adding the couscous, we’ll prepare a vegetable broth in the lower pot. As the steam rises, the couscous absorbs the vegetables’ aromas. Cut the vegetables into pieces. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform. Add two ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters. Then add the onion and carrot. Transfer the dried couscous to a bowl and season it before steaming. Add some olive oil, which will bring both fragrance and flavor to the grains. Season with salt and continue mixing carefully. Now take the colander that will serve as our couscous steamer. Cover the holes at the bottom with onion slices and bay leaves. This prevents the rising steam from wetting the couscous directly. Contact with the vegetables will also give the grains a deeper, more complex aroma. It’s beginning to cook beautifully. We’ll turn the couscous after twenty minutes. Transfer it back to the pan, turn it gently, and return it to the steamer. Be careful: it’s extremely hot. Replace the onion slices and bay leaves at the bottom. Repeat this process twice more, for a total of three twenty-minute steaming stages. While I return the couscous to the steamer, please subscribe, like, and share this video. Sharing costs nothing and helps me continue creating these lessons for you. The couscous is now cooked. We turned it three times, at twenty-minute intervals. Transfer it to the bowl and remove the bay leaves and onion slices. It is still extremely hot. Moisten and season it with some of the same broth used for cooking. This is the texture we’re looking for. Now the couscous needs to be covered. It is going to “sleep” and must rest for another two hours. After resting for at least two hours, the couscous is finally ready. This is the correct final texture. I’ve shown you how to hand-roll the grains and prepare them for cooking. Tell me whether you’ve ever made couscous this way. In the next episodes, I’ll show you how I serve it.