Bidaoui Couscous

Ingredients

• •2 pounds couscous
• •2.2 pounds of meat, knuckle of veal or shoulder of mutton
• •1 medium sized Savoy cabbage
• •2 pounds onions
• •4 or 5 tomatoes
• •1 pound red pumpkin
• •9 ounces eggplants
• •1 pound carrots
• •2 hot chilies
• •1 handful chopped coriander
• •5 ounces butter for the stock
• •5 ounces butter to pour over the couscous when cooked.
• •1/2 teaspoonful of saffron (preferably crushed flowers)
• •1 soupspoon of pepper
• •11 pints salt water to taste

Directions

1. 1Put the pieces of meat cut into largish pieces, two sliced onions, the diced cabbage, butter, salt and pepper at the bottom of the couscous steamer. Pour in 6 liters of water, and bring to boil.
2. 2Then put the upper half of the steamer, full of rolled couscous, over the boiling stock. Seal together the two parts of the steamer with a piece of cloth soaked in flour and water paste so that the steam can escape only through the top. Allow to cook for half and hour from the moment the couscous begins to steam.
3. 3Take the couscous off the heat and pour into a large deep dish made of earthenware or wood for mixing bread and making dough), press light with a ladle to separate the grains, allow to cool and sprinkle with water. Let the couscous air and then sprinkle with water again until the grains are swollen and soaked with water. Leave it to absorb all the water.
4. 4In the meantime, about an hour before serving, place in the bottom part of the steamer(which is still boiling) the tomatoes, the eggplants(quartered but not peeled), the onions, carrot and turnip (all peeled and quartered), the hot peppers and the chopped (or crushed) coriander.
5. 5Cook the pumpkin, cut into quarters, separately in a little of the stock. Check the seasoning of the stock and, half an hour before serving, put the couscous back to steam, making sure to seal the two halves of the steamer as before.
6. 6When the couscous begins to steam, take it off the heat and add the melted butter, mix well, and pour on as much of the stock as the couscous can absorb, stirring all the time. Put on to a large round dish with the couscous heaped into a pyramid and the meat and vegetables placed in a scooped out hollow at the top of the cone.
7. 7Serve at once, putting a bowl of the stock on one side for those who like their couscous more moist.