A luxury boutique hotel in the heart of ancient Marrakech

Couscous is a versatile staple of Moroccan cuisine. It comes in two forms, the standard ‘as-nature-intended’ version or pre-steamed, although the latter, despite being easy and quick to make, tends to lose some of its flavour in the process. Here’s how to make perfect couscous, Marrakech style.

To make this dish one really needs a couscoussier, a perforated steamer, although a fine colander may suffice.

1)      Moisten the couscous by adding ½ cup of water to 3 cups of medium grain couscous. Leave the couscous to absorb the water for 10 minutes.

2)      Repeat this process. Each grain should now be swollen and you should be able to pass each through your fingers without lumps!

3)      Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the couscous.

4)      Bring a pan of water to the boil and steam the couscous on medium heat for 20 minutes.

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Bread, in some form or other, is served with most meals in Morocco. In Marrakech, as everywhere else in the country, it is normal to prepare bread at home each morning and then have it baked in the traditional manner at one of many communal ovens in the neighbourhood.

One particularly tasty type of speciality bread made in Morocco and other North African countries is Khobz Bishemar, a wholewheat flatbread made with a blend of spices and herbs and filled with beef suet and onions.

Here is a simple and delicious recipe for it which you might wish to try.

Ingredients:

For the Bread:

• 1 packet active dried yeast
• 60ml lukewarm water
• 280g unbleached flour
• 1 tsp salt

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