Moroccan Couscous, Caramelized Onions & Raisins (Couscous Tfaya)

Use either chicken or lamb in this Moroccan recipe for couscous tfaya. Tfaya refers to the sweet and spicy caramelized onions and raisins served with this dish. Some versions also include chickpeas.

The ingredients call for the exotic spice blend known as  ras el hanout . If you can't find it, substitute a few whole cloves and a pinch of nutmeg.

You can serve the dish on a bed of instant couscous, but for authentic results, steam the couscous(below) over the simmering meat. Fried almonds are a garnish and can be made ahead of time. Steam additional couscous if planning to offer afterward.

Allow for additional cooking time if preparing lamb instead of chicken.

What You'll Need:

For the Chicken or Lamb:

1 small skinless cut-up chicken or 2 pounds (1 kg) lamb (cut into 3-inch to 4-inch pieces)

1 very large onion (thinly sliced)

1 tablespoon ginger

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon  ras el hanout

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

Optional: 1 teaspoon smen ( Moroccan preserved butter)

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

6 cups (about 1 1/2 liters) water

For the Tfaya:

2 pounds (1 kg) onions (thinly sliced)

1 cup raisins (soaked in water for 15 minutes, then drained)

4 tablespoons sugar or honey

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crumbled  saffron threads

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup water

For the Couscous:

1 pound (1/2 kg) dry couscous

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fried almonds

Optional: 1 whole or sliced hard-boiled egg (per person)

How to Make It

Cook the Chicken or Lamb

1. In the bottom of a couscoussier, mix the chicken or lamb with the onion, ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ras el hanout, saffron, optional smen, and oil. Over medium heat, brown the meat, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
2. Add the 6 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue simmering until the meat is tender – a little more than an hour for the chicken and about 2 hours or more for the lamb.

1. Check the level of the broth occasionally, especially toward the end of cooking, and add water if necessary. The broth should cover the meat, allowing ample sauce to stir into the couscous plus enough to serve on the side. When ready to serve, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Make the Tfaya

1. While the meat is cooking, mix the 2 pounds sliced onions, raisins, sugar or honey, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads in a large saucepan.
2. Add the butter and 1/2 cup water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 30 minutes or longer over medium-low or low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden. Add more water only if the liquids evaporate before the onions are cooked.
3. Once the onions are cooked and richly colored, reduce the liquids to a thick syrup. Turn off the heat, and set the caramelized onions aside. Reheat the onions prior to serving.

Steam the Couscous

The couscous will be steamed four times over the simmering meat. Begin this process while the tfaya is cooking.

First Steaming of the Couscous

1. Lightly oil the steamer basket and set it aside. Empty the dry couscous into a very large bowl, and work in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil with your hands, tossing the couscous and rubbing it between your palms. (This will help prevent the couscous grains from clumping together.)
2. Next, work in 1/2 cup of water, in the same manner, using your hands to evenly distribute the liquid into the couscous.

1. Transfer the couscous to the oiled steamer basket, being careful not to pack the couscous. Place the steamer on top of couscoussier, and steam the couscous for 15 minutes, timing from when you see steam rise from the couscous.

Note: If you see steam escaping from between the basket and couscoussier, you'll need to seal the joint. You can do this in several ways:

• Wrap and tie a long piece of damp cloth over the joint, or
• Tightly wrap a long piece of kitchen plastic film around the joint, or
• Wrap and drape a long piece of kitchen plastic film onto the rim of the couscoussier, and then place the basket on top

Second Steaming of the Couscous

1. Once the couscous has steamed for 15 minutes, empty it back into your large bowl and break it apart. Allow it to cool slightly, and then gradually work in 1 cup of water and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt with your hands. Again, toss the couscous and rub it between your palms to break up any balls or clumps.
2. Transfer the couscous back into the steamer, taking care not to pack or compress the couscous, and place it atop the couscoussier. Steam the couscous a second time for 15 minutes, timing from when you see the steam rising from the couscous. (Again, seal the joint if you see steam escaping.)

Third Steaming of the Couscous

1. Turn the couscous out into the large bowl again. Break it apart, and let cool a few minutes. Gradually work 1 1/2 cups water into the couscous with your hands, tossing it and rubbing the grains between your palms to break up any balls.

1. Transfer the couscous to the steamer basket for its final steaming. Again, try to handle the couscous lightly and avoid packing it.

Final Steaming of the Couscous

1. Time your final steaming of the couscous to coincide with when your meat is done cooking. If preparing chicken, go ahead and steam immediately after adding the 1 1/2 cups of water. If cooking lamb, allow the lamb to finish cooking -- perhaps another hour -- before steaming the couscous for the last time.
2. Place the couscous back on top of the couscoussier, and steam for a final 15 minutes, timing from when you see the steam rise through the couscous. Again, seal the joint between the steamer and the pot if you see steam escape.

Serving the Couscous Tfaya

1. Empty the couscous into the large bowl, and break it apart. Gently mix in 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter, and two ladles of sauce.
2. Spread about 1/3 of the couscous on a very large serving plate or platter, and pour a ladle of sauce all around. Arrange half of the chicken or meat in the center, and top with some of the caramelized onions and raisins.
3. Mound the remaining couscous over the meat to conceal it, and generously ladle more sauce all around the couscous. (Reserve some sauce to offer on the side, if desired.) Place the remaining chicken or lamb in the center of the mound or couscous, and top with the remaining caramelized onions and raisins. Decorate with the fried almonds and hard-boiled eggs.
4. Serve immediately. Traditionally, everyone gathers around the couscous, with each person eating from his own side of the platter.

How to Steam Couscous in a Couscoussier

1-Making Authentic Moroccan Couscous:

If you want to serve authentic Moroccan couscous, you need to steam it in a couscoussier--a traditional Moroccan pot used to cook couscous over a simmering stew. Although there are 3 stages of steaming, it is a pretty simple process.

2-The Couscoussier:

The photo here shows couscous in a couscoussier. This traditional Moroccan pot features a large base (called either a barma, gdra or tanjra) for stewing meats and vegetables, and a steamer basket (kesskess) which fits snugly atop the pot for steaming couscous, rice or even vermicelli (seffa).

Couscoussier comes in different sizes. The one shown here holds about 9 liters (9 quarts) of liquid, and the steamer basket can hold about 2 kilograms (almost 4 1/2 pounds) of couscous.

Couscous is traditionally steamed 3 times over a rapidly simmering stew. Steaming the couscous makes each grain plump and tender without being wet, and therefore better suited for absorbing the tasty broth from the stew.

Steaming couscous doesn't add any actual cooking time to the dish's preparation, but each steaming will require about 5 minutes of easy prep work.

3-Add Oil to the Dry Couscous:

Start by emptying 1 kilogram (2 1/4 pounds) of dry couscous (do not use instant couscous) into a very large shallow bowl. (The "bowl" used here is called a gsaa.) Adjust the amount of oil and water in each step if using a different quantity of couscous.

Add about 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Toss, rub and stir the couscous with your hands to distribute the oil. The oil helps prevent clumping, allowing each grain of couscous to remain separate as it steams.

Note: Some Moroccan cooks add the oil after the couscous has steamed the first time, but you can also add it initially.

4-Add 1 Cup of Water:

Now, add 1 cup of water to the couscous, and toss the couscous and rub it between your hands until the water is evenly distributed. You can see the couscous is already plumping up, but it needs to steam in order to become tender.

5-First Steaming of the Couscous:

Lightly oil the interior of the steamer. Transfer the couscous to the steamer, taking care not to compress or pack the couscous. Place the steamer on top of the base of the couscoussier. Presumably, you'll be stewing some meat and vegetables in the bottom, but you could also steam the couscous over salted water.

If any steam escapes from the joint where the steamer and base meet, you'll want to seal the joint. You can do this in one of 3 ways:

1. Wrap and tie a long piece of damp cloth over the joint.
2. Tightly wrap a long piece of kitchen plastic film around the joint.
3. Wrap and drape a long piece of kitchen plastic film onto the rim of the couscoussier, and then place the basket on top.

Once you see steam rise from the couscous, allow the couscous to steam for a full 15 minutes.

6-Second Steaming of the Couscous:

Once the couscous has completed its first steaming, empty it from the steamer into your large bowl. Use a spoon to break it apart, and allow it to cool a few minutes.

Next, add 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of salt. Toss the couscous and rub it between your palms to break up any balls or clumps.

Put the couscous back into the steamer – again, don't pack the couscous – and steam a second time for another 15 minutes, timing from when you see the steam rise from the top of the couscous. Remember to seal the joint if you notice steam escaping from the sides.

7-Third Steaming of the Couscous:

Once the couscous has completed its second steaming, empty it into your large bowl again. Break it apart, and allow to cool slightly.

Separately add 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water, tossing and mixing the couscous with your hands after each addition. The couscous is now quite light and fluffy and should lean toward al dente when you try it. It will continue to tenderize during the last steaming and from adding broth during serving time.

Transfer the couscous to the steamer – remember not to compress the couscous, just pile it in lightly – and steam for the final time for another 10 to 15 minutes, timing from when you see the steam. Again, seal the joint of the couscoussier if necessary.

Due to the volume of couscous, it will take a bit longer to see the steam emerge. Because of this, some Moroccan cooks don't add all the couscous for the final steaming in a single quantity. They might place 1/3 or 1/2 of the couscous in the steamer, and add more when they see the steam rising.

8-Serve the Couscous:

The couscous is now ready to serve.