Libyan Couscous with Fish: Kusksi bil Hoot كسكس بالسمك على الطريقة اليبية

Couscous is an Amazighi dish served throughout North Africa, and there is an enormous variety of sauces and methods of preparation in the region. In Libya the sauce is most often  tomato-based, although with different toppings, there is for example a root vegetable couscous, coucous with dried meat, coucous with busla (onion sauce), couscous with chicken, with chickpeas and raisins, with squid, and with a variety of fish. In seafood coucous, the vegetables are often fried in oil, then added to the tomatoes sauce, in this recipe I have replaced frying with grilling.

Serves 4-6

Steamed Couscous:

500g couscous (ready-cooked variety can also be steamed)

1 cup of hot water + 3 tbspoon olive oil

Stock

1-2 fish heads (washed, gills removed)

1 medium onion, chopped 

1 medium tomato, chopped  

1 cup parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper, ground cumin

salt, to taste

1 1/2-2 litre boiling water

Vegetable sauce

1 medium onion cut into wings

1 medium size potatoes 

1 medium size aubergine 

1 medium size squash 

1 medium size red bell pepper

1cup cooked/canned chickpeas (or fresh/frozen peas)  

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbspoon tomatoes paste

5 tbspoon olive oil  

1-2 chilli pepper

3-4 garlic cloves

For the Fish and Marinade:

4-6 portions of firm fleshed fish, grouper is the Libyan favourite

4 large cloves garlic

4 tbspoon lemon 

1 chilli pepper chopped 

1 cup chopped celery (optional )

1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper

2 teaspoons cumin

Olive oil to brush the fish before grilling 

Ideally steamed dishes or Imbawakh (an important category in Libyan cuisine) should be cooked in a kaskas, but any pot with a fitted steamer is fine. When steaming couscous you can place a square of cheese-cloth between the pot and steamer as its holes are larger than a kaskas, but from experience even without you will only lose a few grains.

 Put all the ingredients for the stock in the steamer pot. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and cook on medium heat. 

  

Pour 1 cup of hot water and the 3 tbspoon olive oil over the couscous, mix well. Put the couscous in the steamer, then place it above the stock pot. Lightly rake over the top layer only with a spatula a few times during the first steaming, so it gets steamed properly.

Put all the ingredients for the fish marinade in the food-processor, then use this paste to coat the fish from both sides. Cover the fish with cling film and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

                                  

                                    

                                      

Put the fish on a hot tray, grill until golden in colour, and keep warm to serve with the couscous.

After about 45 minutes, the stock will be ready. Remove the steamer and put the couscous in a deep plate,  pour about 5 ladles of hot stock onto the  couscous.

 Mix well, then return the couscous to the steamer for another 45 minutes. Stir lightly thoroughly 2-3 times during the second steaming to break up lumps.

Brush the vegetable generously with olive oil,  place on a pre-heated tray and grill (or fry the vegetables).

Meanwhile, begin preparing the sauce by putting olive oil, chopped onion, chopped chilli and whole garlic cloves in the pot, then stir until they have softened. Add tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, cover  and cook on low heat.

 Remove the vegetables from the grill at this point ( half done), and add to the onion and garlic mix in the pot.

 Add the peas/cooked chickpeas and about 3 ladles of strained fish stock, so the liquid is just about covering the vegatables, and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Remove the couscous from the steamer, add about 2 ladles of sauce from the vegtable sauce pot ( avoid the peas and onion), mix well. Put the couscous in a serving dish, arrange the vegetables above the couscous, spoon some of the remaining sauce around the vegetable.  Serve with the grilled fish and lemon wedges.  

Coucous is usually served in a communal dish in Libya. However if you want to serve couscous on individual plates, a suggested presentation is to arrange the vegetable in the base of a bowl, fill with couscous, spoon some sauce on top, leave for 1 minute and then turn upside down on a flat plate.

Steamed Pasta with Pine Nuts, Raisins, Almonds, and Liver: Makaruna Imbaukha bil Khalta مكرونة مبوخة بالخلطة

This pasta dish is a famous Shargawi recipe, and is often served at Weddings in Eastern Libya. Thin pasta is lightly grilled until golden then steamed over chicken stock. It is then fragrantly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. The topping is a mixture of fried liver, almonds, pine nuts, and  raisins. The raisins are traditional and add sweetness to the dish, but I had to omit them for a guest. With slight variations this mix is served over rice in many Arab countries, including Libya.
This is the original recipe for Makaruna Imbaukha bil Khalta, but nowadays most Libyans cut the amount of oil and samn used - unless it is made for a Wedding feast!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 kg pasta capellini or other thin wheat pasta
4 pieces of skinned chicken (thigh/wings)
4 tablespoons corn oil in 1/2 cup of warm water

1/2 cup samn (clarified butter also known as ghee)

1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
4 bay leaves
2/3 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
salt, pepper
Ground spices:
2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon black pepper
Khalta Topping: 

1/2 kg lamb liver

1/2 cup samn (to fry the nuts and raisins)
1/2 cup blanched almonds 
1/2cup  pine nuts
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Ideally steamed dishes or Imbawakh (an important category in Libyan cuisine) should be cooked in a kaskas, but any pot with a fitted steamer is fine, especially for steamed rice and pasta.

In the bottom pot of a steamer (kaskas), add about 1 litre boiling water to the chicken, along with the chopped onion, chopped tomato, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, spices and salt. 

Break the pasta up and put it in tray under the the grill, until the top layer becomes golden. When it's mixed it will be two-coloured.

When the pasta has cooled down, sprinkle with 1 tb spoon oil mixed with 1/2 cup warm water.

When you can see steam  rising, place the pasta in the steamer.

Meanwhile melt a 1/2 cup of clarified butter (ghee) in a pan.

Fry the pine nuts first as they are the most sensitive to heat, then the almonds. If you like raisins with the khalta, fry the raisins next, taking them off the heat once they plump up. Set aside the left over samn (clarified butter).

Cube the liver and put in deep casserole. Pour boiling water on top leave about one minute then  strain well.

        This helps the liver cubes keep their shape.

Heat the samn used to fry the almonds and raisins. Add the liver and half the amount of ground spices. Stir constantly, make sure you don't overcook it or the liver will be rubbery. 

Drain the liver from the excess fat.

Set aside the fried liver, raisins and nuts to use as a topping later.

After about 45 minutes, remove the cooked chicken pieces and leave the stock in the bottom of the steamer. Remove the pasta from the steamer and put it in a deep bowl. Using a ladle, take about 3 cups of the stock from the bottom of the steamer, especially the oily top layer. Mix it into the pasta and return the pasta to the steamer. How long the pasta takes to cook depends on the pasta type. If the pasta is still not cooked , moisten it with another 1 or 2 cups of stock, and continue steaming.

Once the pasta is done place it in a heatproof bowl. Place the cooked chicken pieces under the grill or brown in a frying pan. Meanwhile add the remaining ground spices to the pasta. Heat up the  1/2 cup of samn until it just starts to smoke, then pour on top of the spices. It should be hot enough for a sizzling sound and bubbling. This  method of infusing flavour by 'burning' spices with hot samn is called the kawi, and is used in a lot of Shargawi recipes.

 Mix the spices and samn (clarified butter) through the pasta. 

Plate the pasta and cover it with the fried khalta of  liver, nuts and raisins then top with the browned chicken. Serve with Mseyer pickles.

Steamed Pasta with Pumpkin and Raisins: Makaruna Imbaukha مكرونة مبوخة

Makaruna Imbaukha originates from East Libya, but is known throughout the country. A more time-consuming version is rishda imbaukha which calls for home-made pasta known as rishda. Steamed pasta is the basis of this dish, but the secret is a rich onion and chickpea sauce with the consistency of stew and more than a hint of sweetness from the pumkin and raisins.

Serve with Mseyer pickles .

Serves 6
Ingredients

1/2 kilo  lamb meat
500g capellini pasta
3 tablespoons samn (clarified butter)/ or 1/2 cup corn oil.

3 tbsp tomato paste
1 finely chopped medium onion

1 finely chopped tomato
1 cup chickpeas (soaked over night and parboiled, or use canned)
3 medium size onions cut into wings
1cup sultanas or raisins 
2 medium potatoes halved
250g pumpkin cut to large cubes

1 tsp black pepper
5 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
A few shaiba leaves (known as dagad phool in Indian cuisine)
1 teaspoon grated ginger root/ ground ginger

final touch:  

2 tablespoon orange flower water (optional)

1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

2 tablebspoons samn (clarified butter)/ or butter

                                        

Ideally steamed dishes or Imbawakh (an important category in Libyan cuisine) should be cooked in a kaskas, but any pot with a fitted steamer is fine, especially for steamed rice and pasta.

                           

Start by cooking the meat in the pot under the steamer. Brown the meat in oil or samn (clarified butter) add ground shaiba leaves, then add the chopped onion, chopped tomato, tomato paste, rest of the spices stir, then add about a 1 liter of water bring to boil. Once steam rises from the pot begin steaming the pasta over it while the meat cooks.

Mix oil and water in a small bowl.

This will be used to wet the pasta before steaming.

    

Take a nest of angel hair pasta, dip it quickly in the water and oil, shake off the excess water and place in the steamer above the pot.

                                                              

Work angel hair pasta nest loose with your fingers as you drop the into the steamer

 

Let the pasta steam for 45 minutes, then take down steamer insert

Put the pasta in deep plate. Using a ladle, scoop up the gleaming top layer of the meat broth from the bottom pot, pour over the pasta and mix.  (about  4-5 ladles).

Return pasta to steamer. Add onion wings, chickpeas and potatoes to the pot below the steamer  Put the steamer back on the pot, and leave to steam for a further 30 minutes.

  

You may need to add some water to the meat broth. Add the pumpkin and sultanas/raisins, then cook for a further 15 minutes.

When the pasta is cooked, return it to the deep plate. Sprinkle with orange flower water, mix and sprinkle with cinnamon and ginger. Heat saman or butter (to smoking point) pour immediately over spices then mix. Spread the pasta in a large flat serving platter and spoon the onion, chickpeas, and sultanas sauce generously over it, and arrange potatoes, pumpkin, and meat on top.