Food - Drink
The Reason Your Couscous Turned Out Bland
By AUTUMN SWIERS
Couscous is a dish made of tiny steamed balls of semolina flour, and like any grain-based staple, couscous can either have a subtle yet delicious flavor or turn out incredibly bland, depending on how you cook it. If your couscous is always boring and flat-tasting, try cooking it in something besides plain water.
Couscous has a natural nutty flavor that isn't exactly explosive, but can be enhanced to great effect by a flavorful liquid. If you only ever cook your couscous in water, that's likely the reason why it turns out bland, so try cooking it in a veggie or chicken stock instead; you can even add spices like cinnamon, star anise, and saffron.
For an even more unconventional twist, you can cook couscous in milk, which adds more richness for a porridge-like dish that pairs well with sweet flavors like honey and fruit. No matter which cooking liquid you choose, make sure you let your couscous rest after taking it off the heat so the semolina pearls soften properly.