Steamed Couscous

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Ill Gotten Grains

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (6)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(6)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 5 cups

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 40 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

2 cups couscous
Pinch salt
1/2 cup cold water
Olive oil, for spraying hands

Directions

Place couscous in a fine strainer and rinse under cold running water. Dump couscous onto a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt, and let stand until grains swell, about 10 minutes. Break up lumps with your fingers.

Partially fill a large steamer pot or stockpot with 1-inch water. Bring water to simmer. Place damp tea towel in steamer or colander and add couscous. Fold towel over couscous. Steam, covered, over simmering water for 15 minutes.

Pour couscous onto large, rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cold water. Toss with slotted spatula until cool and the water is absorbed. Spritz hands with olive oil and spread out couscous, breaking up any lumps as you go. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Refill pot with enough water to make 1-inch again. Return couscous to colander or steamer and steam, covered, for 10 minutes.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Rosemary Couscous

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 32

View all 32 Side Dish Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Steamed Couscous
laura chesterton, IN 04-28-2009
Flag

beginner with couscous
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ok, I've never even eaten couscous before, much less cooked them. Picked some up from the bulk grocery, on the advice of... someone else saying they're easy to cook. There they sat in my pantry. Well, we love Alton Brown in this household, so when I found his recipe for the basic preparation, I knew this is what I had to do. Wow. Excellent. I had a great, simple side dish, and now I have left-overs to consider for maybe a couscous salad or I don't know. Thank you Alton for all you do! By the way, I'm so glad you continued with Good Eats - we're enjoying the new episodes. How about another road trip? Read more
recipe Steamed Couscous
Nadine Hamtramck, MI 02-09-2009
Flag

DON'T USE INSTANT COUSCOUS
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Kudos to Brown for posting this authentic couscous recipe. Just a note, if your box has 5 minute instructions, you are... using the wrong product.Read more
recipe Steamed Couscous
null null, null 01-03-2009
Flag

the real thing
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have a been follower of Mr Brown for many years because he is in spite of his excentricty a very knowledgeable man and a... great reference . he is accurate and deep not a dilettante. He matured a lot with the food network and is the ONLY consistent host followed very closely by Mario. this recipe is the only one worth mentioning because he does not take shortcuts and it is the only way to do justice to couscous. I am from Algeria and i have my own restaurant in Charlottesville VA and i make couscous every Saturday for my clients. thank you mr BrownRead more
recipe Steamed Couscous
John Cranford, NJ 09-15-2007
Flag

Worth the time (and effort!)
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Wonderful. I am a convert from the 5-minute box couscous. The trick is to use "real" couscous, not the instant ones. We... follow Alton's recipe and but an electric steamer and no towels. What a great mouth-feel and taste. I never want to use the box variety again!Read more
recipe Steamed Couscous
ANDY Lincoln, NE 07-25-2006
Flag

Not really worth the effort
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

Bland and dry. Even after adding dried fruit and nuts, all I could taste was a subtle hint of the laundry detergent I'd used... to wash the towel... :( When there are 5-minute directions on the box, I'm not sure what the value in using this complicated procedure is. The only thing I found worth exploring was salting the couscous to start - but you could do that and then follow the box directions, saving yourself some time and some dishes.Read more
recipe Steamed Couscous
Anonymous 06-08-2004
Flag

finally a toothsome couscous
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

everything is granular and nice in th emouth.