Chicken tfaya couscous with hand-rolled grains

Method

1. If preparing original and lighter portions together, set aside the ingredients and quantities shown for the lighter portions; the remainder is for the original portions. Prepare the two versions separately wherever their cooking or seasoning differs. Divide the quantities given for the whole preparation between the pans or bowls, rather than using the full quantity in each. Dissolve 2 g salt in 150 g water. Spread the raw medium semolina in a very large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with small amounts of the salted water, then roll with your fingertips in circular movements, without kneading. Add a small handful of fine semolina and roll again. Alternate small sprinkles of water and fine semolina for 20–30 minutes to form round 1–2 mm grains. Stop adding water as soon as the grains hold together without sticking, even if some water remains.
2. Pass the mixture through a 2 mm sieve to catch large clumps, then through a 1 mm sieve to let the semolina that is still too fine fall through. Break up the large clumps and roll the fine particles again with a light sprinkling of water, until both semolinas have been incorporated. Leave the grains to rest for 10 minutes, spread apart in the bowl.
3. While the couscous rests, start the tfaya: very finely slice the 350 g onion reserved for it. Put in a saucepan with 20 g oil, 150 g water, the cinnamon, half the ginger and 1 g salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes. As soon as this simmering starts, prepare the chicken in the next step, then start the first steaming. After the 25 minutes, add the raisins and honey to the tfaya, uncover and cook for another 20–25 minutes, stirring often between working on the couscous. The onions should become amber and meltingly soft, with no free liquid. Turn off the heat and keep covered.
4. While the tfaya first cooks covered, heat the water in the couscoussier, using an amount suited to the pot without touching the basket (2 litres as a guide). Chop the 100 g onion for the chicken and soften in 20 g oil in a casserole over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, reserved half of the ginger, pepper and 3 g salt, and turn for 3 minutes. Pour in 450 g water, add the saffron, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Immediately start the first steaming in step 5 alongside it. Add the chickpeas to the chicken for its final 10 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 75°C at the centre, then turn off the heat; keep covered in its broth, off the heat, while the remaining steaming finishes. Do not keep simmering the chicken while waiting for the couscous.
5. When the couscoussier water boils, check that it does not touch the basket. Oil the basket with the oil reserved for this purpose (5 g in total for all baskets used). Add the grains without packing them down, set the basket in place and steam for 20 minutes from when steam rises through the grains. Meanwhile, keep track of the chicken and tfaya’s stated cooking times and turn off their heat as soon as they are ready.
6. Tip the couscous into the large bowl and sprinkle with 50 g lukewarm water. Fluff with a fork, then separate the grains between your fingers once cool enough to handle. Add 5 g oil and rest for 5 minutes. Steam again for 15 minutes, then fluff again with the remaining 50 g lukewarm water and 5 g oil.
7. Steam a third time for 10–15 minutes. Taste: the grains should be swollen and tender, with no hard centre. Check the water level in the lower pot between each steaming and top up with boiling water if needed. Tip the couscous into the bowl, add the 5 g oil reserved for finishing and about 80 g broth taken from the chicken. Fluff, cover and leave to absorb for 5 minutes.
8. During the couscous’s 5-minute absorption time, gently reheat the chicken in its broth for 3–5 minutes until hot through, and return the tfaya to a low heat for a few minutes. Keep the broth covered so it does not reduce. If there is not enough to serve, add 50–100 g reserved hot water and taste. Arrange the couscous, add the chicken and chickpeas, then spread the onions and raisins over the top. Serve the remaining broth separately to add a little at a time.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.