One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you rinse pearl couscous after cooking? ›

Cook and stir couscous in hot oil until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in water and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse couscous under cold water in a colander, then transfer to a large serving bowl.

Pearl couscous: You need 1 cup of uncooked pearl couscous, which will yield about 3 cups when cooked. Water: For a cup of uncooked couscous, you need 1 ½ cups water or other cooking liquid (such as broth). Kosher salt: If you use broth instead of water, you may not need any salt, depending on how salty the broth is.

Simple couscous can be ready in a matter of minutes. Most couscous you will find in supermarkets or other retailers will be the instant variety that has been pre-steamed and needs nothing more than a quick soak in hot liquid.

You don't use the proper water-to-couscous ratio. Although couscous is pasta, it actually cooks more like a grain. You can't just dump dry couscous into a pot of boiling water and drain it. Make sure you're using the right water-to-couscous ratio, which is 1 cup water to 2/3 cup couscous.

The main difference between pearl couscous and Moroccan couscous is the size. The grains of Moroccan couscous are much smaller, compared to the pea-size granules in the pearl variety (made memorable by their namesake). This, of course, affects the preparation and cooking time of each grain.

Grate the zest of a lemon, lime or orange into the cooking water or sprinkle it over the cooked couscous. The bright, tangy notes will elevate the flavours and bring a refreshing twist to your dish. You can also add some extra herbs here to create another layer of freshness.

Healthy Facts: Pearl couscous is a source of fiber. Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, aids digestion, and can help reduce constipation. Pearl couscous is low in sugar and is lower on the Glycemic Index.

Learn How to Cook Israeli, or pearl, and Instant Couscous on the stovetop in less than 20 minutes. These tiny, pasta-like balls of semolina wheat flour are so quick and easy to make, you simply need 1 ½ cups of water to each cup of couscous.

Couscous is packed with nutrients and has better selenium per serving than white rice when it comes to selenium and other elements. It is light and filling, making it a good choice for busy professionals, families and people who don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare a healthy, delicious meal.

Too Much Water: Stick to the 1:1.5 ratio to avoid mushy couscous. Underseasoning: Don't forget to season your water with a pinch of salt.

How do you keep couscous Fluffy? ›

As soon as 15 minutes is up, drizzle a little olive oil over the couscous, to help separate the balls, then fluff them, using a fork (not a spoon). If you have time, then pour the couscous onto a baking sheet and break up the balls with your fingers. Either way, it's at this point that you'll see the magic working.

Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.

When you think of couscous you think of wheat and that deep, earthly smell of the crop. It comes from the semolina or the heart of the wheat. Using other parts of the grain actually dilutes the scent and leaves the couscous smelling less intense.

All you need to know about microwaving couscous

Yes, you can cook couscous in the microwave! Cooking couscous in the microwave is faster than cooking it on the stovetop or in the oven, requiring only 1 or 2 minutes of total cook time.

Tip: Adding some fresh lemon juice to the boiling water will prevent the couscous pearls to stick together. This is because the acidity of the lemon juice reduces the release of starch during cooking.