Taib Lotfi’s Holiday Couscous
Thomas J. Story
While you could simply make the couscous according to the directions on the package, Taib’s oven-cooking method yields delightfully ethereal results.
Couscous may not be part of the American canon of holiday dishes, but you may want to start incorporating it into your festive spread after trying this recipe. It comes to us from Morocco-born Taib Lotfi, who with his wife co-owns a stylish North African boutique in Palm Springs. He makes the dish part of the couple’s legendary desert holiday parties.
How to Make It
1
In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 1⁄2 cup of diced onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
2
Add chicken breasts to the pan. Add the saffron, cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Using tongs, turn the chicken in the spices and aromatics to coat well. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, giving the spices time to open up and season the chicken.
3
Add the tomato purée, tomato paste, chicken broth, carrots, mushrooms, sliced onion, cilantro, and parsley, and let cook for 10 minutes.
4
Add the zucchini and heirloom cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5
Meanwhile, to make the couscous:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add couscous to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish (about 9 by 13 inches), drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Using a spoon, mix the couscous and olive oil together well and add salt and pepper as desired. Add 4 cups of water to the couscous. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
6
Put the couscous in the oven cook and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and fluff the couscous with a spatula. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
7
Transfer to a large bowl and continue to fluff and mix together with a whisk, or, if you feel like it, use your hands to break any clumps of couscous into single grains. Add lemon juice, butter, almonds, and raisins. Mix together again and fluff with hands. Return couscous to the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes then serve.
Ingredients
6 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, divided (one half diced, the other sliced)
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 pinch saffron
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
28 oz can tomato purée
4 oz can of tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cremini mushrooms, quartered
5 medium carrots
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 zucchini, cut into rounds
handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Golden Couscous
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped almonds
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1
In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 1⁄2 cup of diced onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
2
Add chicken breasts to the pan. Add the saffron, cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Using tongs, turn the chicken in the spices and aromatics to coat well. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, giving the spices time to open up and season the chicken.
3
Add the tomato purée, tomato paste, chicken broth, carrots, mushrooms, sliced onion, cilantro, and parsley, and let cook for 10 minutes.
4
Add the zucchini and heirloom cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5
Meanwhile, to make the couscous:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add couscous to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish (about 9 by 13 inches), drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Using a spoon, mix the couscous and olive oil together well and add salt and pepper as desired. Add 4 cups of water to the couscous. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
6
Put the couscous in the oven cook and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and fluff the couscous with a spatula. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
7
Transfer to a large bowl and continue to fluff and mix together with a whisk, or, if you feel like it, use your hands to break any clumps of couscous into single grains. Add lemon juice, butter, almonds, and raisins. Mix together again and fluff with hands. Return couscous to the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes then serve.