We moved in September and it took me until this month to finally locate the box with the couscoussier. It was just in time, too, because my mother’s birthday was at the beginning of the month and un grand couscous is one of her favorite meals. Plus, I’ve been promising you this recipe for a while. I finally got around to putting it down on paper, testing it out on my family and taking its picture.

Couscous is traditional to North Africa and refers not just to the miniscule pasta-like specks, but also to the stew that is served over it. I like a combination of lamb and chicken in my couscous and I try to always come up with the traditional number of seven vegetables; I use onion, red pepper, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, butternut squash and garbanzo beans. I’m not superstitious or anything, it’s just that seven different vegetables along with the two kinds of meat offer variety in taste and texture that is part of what makes it good. Harissa, the spicy pepper paste that is served on the side is also essential. If you can’t buy it anywhere near you it’s not hard to make.

couscous aux sept légumes – couscous with seven vegetables

• 1 lb. skinned chicken thighs (optional)
• 1 lb. lamb (optional, use equal parts cubed lamb shoulder and meaty neck bones)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1½ tablespoons freshly ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut in half crosswise then into quarters lengthwise (you should end up with 3″ lengths like carrot sticks)
• 2 zucchini, cut like the carrots
• 4 large potatoes, skinned, cut into eighths (preferably yukon gold)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 2-3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (you may use canned)
• 2 cups uncooked couscous grains
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• harissa

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2-3 minutes on medium heat, until onion is soft and translucent. Add peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, making sure that the onions and garlic do not brown. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir and let cook about 3 minutes, allowing the tomato paste to change from red to rust in color. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and put chicken and lamb (if using) into pot along. Add salt and the rest of the ingredients except for garbanzos and couscous. Simmer on very low heat for about 1½ hours. Meanwhile, begin to prepare the couscous (see below). Add garbanzos to the stew and allow to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place cooked couscous into a large serving dish and arrange meat and vegetables on top using a slotted spoon. Serve harissa, cilantro and some of the cooking broth on the side.

couscous

Place couscous and raisins on a large baking sheet and add one cup of water. Mix couscous with water and spread evenly over baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 1/2 hour. Add one more cup of water and mix into couscous and break up any lumps with your fingers. Place couscous mixture in top portion of couscoussier or into a colander lined with cheesecloth, cover and sit atop stew to steam. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Unlike French toast, French fries and that orange stuff they call French dressing, French onion soup is actually French. Except of course, they just call it soupe à l’oignon, onion soup, they don’t need to be reminded of its national origin. The first time I ate this in France, it was at a New Year’s Eve dinner party. My friends pulled it out at the end of the night, after lots of eating, drinking and dancing and told me that it was a great late night (or early morning) food that helps prevent hangovers. With all the salt, liquid and carbs, they might be right.

When I made veal stock last week, this is the first thing I did with it. It’s really easy and lets the flavor of the stock really shine. There are just two things you need to be careful with for this soup. First, you need to caramelize the onions really well without burning them. Second, I like to use a little flour in my onion soup to thicken it just slightly and add to the silky mouth feel without adding extra fat. This is especially important if you use store bought stock, which generally doesn’t have the gelatinous quality of the homemade stuff. You have to be careful though as when adding any liquid to a roux, the mixture of flour and butter that this recipe calls for; make sure the stuff in your pot and the liquid you add into it are about the same temperature and you’ll be sure to avoid the dreaded lumps. One more thing, when we think of French onion soup, we automatically think of the ooey gooey cheesy greasy stuff you get in restaurants here. The French soupe à l’oignon gratinée is a little more restrained. Rounds of bread are topped with cheese, the cheese is melted and topped with the soup.

For me, French home cooking is comfort food at its best. Rich complex flavors coaxed out of simple, high quality ingredients. Sitting down to eat this on a cold winter day with people you care about is memory making.

French onion soup

• 5 lbs onions (about 6-7 large onions), peeled, quartered and sliced
• 2 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts veal stock (or beef stock)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 cup white wine (optional)
• 1/2 baguette, sliced (about 12 slices)
• 3/4 lb grated comté (or gruyère)

Melt butter over medium high and add onions. Stir occasionally and lower heat as necessary until onions are browned but not burned (the water and sugar content of the onions make a big difference in cooking times here, it could take a half an hour or more depending on the water and sugar content of your onions). Meanwhile, heat the stock until it is barely at a simmer. Add garlic and cook for about two minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and slowly add stock (having the contents of the pot and the liquid you want to add to it at roughly the same temperature will help avoid lumps). Whisk constantly until all of the stock is incorporated, then add wine if you wish. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if desired. While the soup is simmering, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, place baguette rounds on a cookie sheet and top them with the grated cheese. Bake for about 8 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Place two baguette rounds in each bowl and top with soup.

Makes 6 servings.