The big storm requires us to eat good food so we keep up our strength and our spirits. That means comfort food to me. One of our favorite dishes reminds Chris of his summers excavating a Roman cemetery and a circus (racecourse) in Carthage, now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia. Chicken couscous is a tasty stew sort of thing that is full of flavors, and the mix of chicken and tons of veg makes this a full meal in one pot. If you have never tried North African food, make this and be introduced to a wonderful cuisine that deserves to be better known everywhere.
Couscous tunisienne
46
servings30
minutes1
hour30
minutesCouscous is Tunisia’s greatest culinary gift to the world. I had this for the first time in Tunis in 1995, and was instantly sold on Tunisian food. So much so that I bought a couscoussier at the local grocery and brought it home in my bag, despite never having cooked the dish myself. This is modified from the recipe in The North African Cookbook, by Jeff Koehler.
Ingredients
3 cups couscous
1 large white onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
3 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup tomato passata, or fresh chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 lb. small potatoes, cut in half
1 bulb fennel, chopped
q.b. salt and fresh pepper
6 cups water or stock
2 cups cabbage, shredded
3 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup chickpeas (note)
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp Coriander
2 Tbsp Caraway seeds, ground
Directions
- Prepare the couscous: if you have a steamer to top the pot with (or a couscoussier), sprinkle the couscous with 1-2 Tbsp cold water and mix it together, then put it in the steamer and set aside. If you are preparing it on its own, follow the package directions and reserve.
- In the bottom of the couscoussier or in a Dutch oven or pot the steamer will fit on, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions for five minutes or so, until soft. Add the garlic and chicken and season with salt and pepper and brown all sides.
- Add the tomato and tomato paste, and the vegetables. Stir to coat and add the water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a hard simmer and put the steamer on top, then cover it (or cover the pot if you made the couscous separately).
- After about forty minutes, take the couscous out of the steamer and turn it onto a plate. Sprinkle another 2-3 Tbsp. water into it and stir it through with a fork to break up any clumps, then return it to the steamer.
- Before you return the steamer to the top of the pot, add the cabbage, chickpeas, parsley, and spices to the pot, then cover again with the steamer. Cook a further twenty minutes.
- Serve: Spoon the couscous onto a large platter and mound it in the center. Spoon the meat and vegetables around the couscous and spoon some of the sauce onto it. I put the rest of the sauce in a small pitcher or gravy boat and serve it on the side.
Notes
- For the chickpeas, you can use a can of them, or you can soak dried ones overnight in water with 1 Tbsp or baking soda, then cook in clean water for 1 hour, or until the beans are soft but still whole….