Couscous

Ingredients for 10 people :

•    Cooking time: 2 to 2 y2 hours depending on the quality of the meat
•    500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of coarse semolina rolled in 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of sifted flour
•    or; 1 packet of couscous weighing 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz)
•    1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of shoulder of mutton in pieces or:
•    1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of knuckle of real
•    1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of courgettes (baby marrows)
•    500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of turnips
•    1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of fresh kidney beans
•    1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of onions
•    1 handful of chopped coriander
•    1 soupspoonful of pepper
•    1/2 level teaspoonful of saffron
•    150 g (5 oz) of butter, in the stock
•    100 g (4 oz) of butter for the couscous
•    6 litres (11pts)of water
•    Salt

Put the pieces of meat in the lower part of the couscous steamer. Add 6 litres (ll pts) of water, 2 onions cut up into quarters, pepper, butter, saffron and salt. Bring to the boil and place the "keskes" (upper part of the steamer) full of rolled couscous on the boiling pot. Seal the two parts together as before with a cloth steeped in flour and water paste so that the steam can only escape from the top.

After the couscous has stopped to steam, let it cook for half an hour, then take off the couscous and pour into the "gsaa". Press lightly with the ladle to separate the grains, leave to get cold and sprinkle with cold water. Let the couscous air and then repeat the same operation until the grains are swollen and saturated with water. Leave to absorb all the water.

In the meantime, and about l hour before serving, put the remainder of the ingredients in the pot which is still boiling over the fire-first the turnips cut in quarters and the kidney beans from which the shoots have been removed, then, after a quarter of an hour’s boiling, the baby marrows cut in 4 and seeded but not peeled, the sliced onions and chopped coriander.

When it has boiled for a while check the seasoning and put the couscous back into the keskes. Put the keskes on top of the pot and again seal the 2 two parts of the steamer. When the couscous starts steaming, take off the heat and pour into the "gsaa", add the butter, mix well and add as much stock as the semolina can absorb while stirring. Put the couscous on a large round dish, form a cone,with a well in the middle for the meat and vegetables and serve immediately.