kuskusū bi-baysār

Discussion

This dish is our representative of the Amazigh people, whose influence on the region of al-Andalus was immense and far-reaching. Cous Cous originates from the Imaghzen and is a staple dish they likely brought with them to Iberia during their earliest migrations from Northwest Africa. Although a simple preparation, Cous Cous is arguably one of the best known, longest lasting cultural foods served routinely on the modern plate. The recipe uses minimal ingredients, but displays sophisticated techniques that result in a hearty and memorable dish.

The directions given to us are fairly straightforward. Cous cous is made fresh from semolina flour. One recipe in FKH describes steaming the cous cous in a special perforated pot, while this recipe has us boil it, which is more familiar to the modern cook. We know that two different words exist for the Fava Bean, depending on whether it is dry or fresh, and this recipe specifically calls for dried. In addition, it uses the omnipresent olive oil, and ghee. All of these things point to a dish that travels and keeps well – better than if soft wheat, fresh beans or butter were used.

The directions for this dish are simple and clear, so there is no need to divine anything other than the quantities. Since none are given, I must assume they are a function of what was on-hand when making it, like most staple dishes throughout history. I chose to use half and half of the Fava Beans and Cous Cous to maintain the textures and flavors of both in the dish. The fats are specifically used to coat the beans and pasta, so the amount is functional – though we’re encouraged to add more Ghee, which is delicious and full of nutrition – and Salt is essentially always to taste.

I am choosing to use packaged Cous Cous as the flavor and texture will be the same unless I also freshly grind Semolina flour, which is not within reasonable reach. The original recipe treats the cous cous both as having been pre-cooked and as being cooked in the dish so I tried it both ways. I did not find a meaningful difference in the end result, other than one less dish to clean (which I do not mean to understate the importance of, especially to a nomadic people) so for our purposes I chose to cook them separately and combine them at the end. This also gives me the opportunity to exercise control over allergens and easily prepare portions for those eating gluten-free or not eating dairy.