Marilus Cous Cous Recipes

Steps:

• Place the cooked cous cous, butter, sugar, pine nuts, raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, and water in a mixing bowl. Thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Cover the bowl and let rest for at least 1/2 an hour. Butter a ramekin to prevent sticking. Firmly pack some cous cous mixture in the ramekin and invert onto an individual dessert plate, so that the form of the cous cous is released from the ramekin. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Repeat for other individual plates and serve.
• For the dough: Cous cous is cooked in a special double boiler called a couscousiera. A makeshift couscousiera can be made by placing a colander over a similar-size pot and sealing the two together with simple dough to prevent steam from escaping. To make the dough: Combine 1 cup flour with enough water to create dough. Roll the dough into a long rope and use as a seal.
• For the cous cous: Place half the durum wheat in a large bowl. Add splashes of water, salt, cinnamon, and extra-virgin olive oil, while stirring/raking the durum wheat in a circular motion with your hand. You should use approximately 1/2 the quantities of water, salt, cinnamon and extra-virgin olive oil at this point. Continue working in a circular motion, constantly stirring to moisten the grains evenly. Rub the mixture between your hands to remove any lumps that may form. If the mixture becomes too wet, add some more durum wheat, if it becomes too dry, add some more water. The mixture should form into small pellets. If you have not achieved small pellets, rub and rake some more.
• Add the remaining durum wheat, salt, cinnamon and extra-virgin olive oil and repeat the process above. Transfer the cous cous to a colander and embed the zest of 1 lemon in the cous cous. Rest the colander over a pot of boiling water. Let the cous cous steam for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve with seafood, stewed meats and/or vegetables, or use as a base for Marilu's cous cous dessert recipe follows.

Steps:

• Combine the water or broth, olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous and immediately remove from the heat. Cover and let sit 5 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork (the more you fluff, the more separate and light the grains will be). Season with salt and pepper. If you are making the couscous ahead, spread while hot on a baking sheet lined with parchment to stop the cooking as it cools. Once cool, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Put the couscous in a medium-sized bowl, pour over the stock, cover with cling film, and leave to stand for 5 mins. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a few mins, until pale golden.
• Fluff up the couscous with a fork, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.