Couscous is my nemesis

[IslaValargeone]

Please someone give me the idiot's guide to cous cous, I follow the instructions but it goes splodgey rather than the grains all nicely separated.

Weigh approx 6oz of cous cous. Add appox 180ml stock. Quickly put lid or clingfilm over top. Leave for 5mins. Then add either olive oil or a dressing (nice one I do is olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and herb). Mix with fork till all nicely separated. If a bit clumpy add more oil.

You put 6fl oz of boiling water into a jug, open a packet of Ainsley Harriot's Spicy and Sensational, pour onto the boiling water, stir with a fork and 2 minutes later it's ready to eat.

Thankyou, I tried to make a couscous salad last night, what a disaster

I'm all out of Ainsley, Hocus. I will have to do it the long winded way :o

I cook according to instructions on packet and then I put it in a muslin cloth in a steamer and steam it until it's piping hot. This makes the grains lovely and separate. In the middle east they steam coucous several times ie they steam, mix, steam, mix etc. My method is a shortcut of the traditional way and it comes out yummy

I don't follow any instructions. I pour over just enough boiling water to cover the couscous (which I have put in a large bowl). After a little while (5-10 mins?), I stir it through with a fork. It is clumpy, not soggy.

Then I steam the couscous for a good 15 mins or however long it takes for the meal to be ready. Fluff it up from time to time. That dries it and helps it to fluff.

The recommended amount of boiling water to add is 1.5 x the amount of couscous. So 100g coucous would need 150ml water. But sometimes I add just a bit less just to be sure!

You are probably adding too much water to soak. I can't see how else you could go wrong. Don;t faff about measuring. Pour in just enough water to cover the stuff.

So if I was doing it as a salad, when do I add the dressing and other bit, after it has cooled?

If I was doing a salad, yes. I wouldn't even steam it for a salad. I'd chop it and stir it up with a fork, cool it a bit and add the veg and dressing.

I've never steamed it. Bung on boiling stock, cover with lid and then fork it with butter

I also go for no cook method.

Put in a boel, pour over boiling water until just covered. Give it a good stir and cover. Leqve for 10-15 mins, then break up with a fork and add lemon juice and good olive oil plus s&p. Add other falvourings if you like. I something add finely chopped tomato, parsley, red pepper and red onion. Delish.

The way I make it is a bit of agraff, but it never goes wrong and still takes under ten minutes.

Boil the kettle.

Heat knob of butter in a saucepan.

Weigh couscous and add to pan.

Stir for a couple of minutes.

Take off the heat.

Add the same amount of boiling water as weight of couscous - 250 grams of couscous needs 250 mls of water.

Allow water to soak in for a couple of minutes, then put back on the heat for a minute or two and fluff up.

Put in a bowl and add seasonings and whatever veggies you fancy.

It isn't as easy as putting it in a bowl and pouring on boiling water, but it really, really is better for it.

I put it in a bowl, add enough boiling water so there is half a cm over the top of the couscous, add butter/stock/whatever and then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Then leave it for 5 mins and fluff. Is essentially the same as above but faster, for when you have forgotten to make somethign to go with your meal.

When you make it up, use stock instead of water and a few dashes of Thai fish sauce. Couscous on its own is really bland, so this puts some flavour in it before you start adding whatever you want to eat it with.