COUSCOUS

North African dish of semolina and accompanying foods. The semolina grains (the endosperm of Durum wheat) are prepared in a couscousire, a large covered pot with a lower compartment in which a stew or broth cooks and an upper portion with a pierced bottom in which the couscous steams. The grains must be sprinkled with liquid, stirred to separate the clumps, and steamed several times. While the grain is steaming, a stew of lamb, chicken, chickpeas, and vegetables cooks in the lower portion of the pot. The couscous and stew are eaten with harissa, a fiery sauce of red pepper and other spices. Alternatively, couscous can be eaten as a sweet dish with fruits and milk or as a breakfast porridge.