The Lebanese couscous
The majority of Australians won't know what to do with moghrabieh, let alone know how to spell it.
Spelling bee problems aside, this exotic grain is definitely worth investigating.
Tellingly, its more commonly known name - Lebanese couscous - hints at how it can be used with different sorts of cuisine.
It is perfect for Middle Eastern style dishes, meat ragus and stews, Summer salads, and anything with eggplant.
Like couscous, moghrabieh is a form of rolled semolina that has been roasted, but it is notably larger at the size of a pea.
Unlike its tiny and fluffy friend which often features as a rice-substitute, moghrabieh - as well as the medium sized Israeli couscous - can be used almost like a pasta.
The texture when cooked is quite chewy, making it perfect for absorbing the flavour of the wide variety of things it can be cooked with.
Preparation is traditionally about 20 to 25 minutes slow cooking in brine, but a more simple suggestion is to cook it almost like pasta in boiling water (but for a much longer, sometimes up to forty minutes).
In comes in two forms: steamed
or dry. The steamed kind is ready to cook immediately while the dry kind
needs to be steamed before being cooked.
Traditionally, this latter method is done whilst
making a base sauce, on top of the boiling pot, in a
steamer or colander. This is said to inject even more flavour and aroma into the balls.
Moghrabieh can be found in Australia at more select delicatessens, but OnFood has noticed it cropping up in more mainstream places recently.
We particularly like this recipe recently published by Gourmet Traveller. Image sourced from this excellent blog.
|