Cuscuz nordestino

Ingredients

Couscous

• 400 gflocão de milho, corn couscous
• or 400 g coarse cornmeal flakes
• about 250 ml water
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To serve

• 80 gbutter
• or coconut milk, poured over
• fried eggs
• queijo coalho, grilled
• carne de sol, sun-dried beef
• or plain, with milk and sugar

Equipment

• a cuscuzeira, couscous steamer
• or a steamer basket over a pan
• a fork

Directions

1. Butter is melted into it or coconut milk poured over. Understanding the cuscuzeira helps. Steam rises through and cooks them. The grain never touches the water. Line a steamer basket with muslin. Set it over a pan of boiling water. The basket must sit clear of the water.
2. Put the corn flakes in a bowl. Add the salt and stir it through. Rub it through with your fingertips as you go. Work it in evenly across the whole bowl. The flakes should be damp but still loose. Squeeze a handful in your fist. It should hold together briefly.
3. Cover the bowl and let it stand. Give it about ten full minutes. Check the moisture again afterwards. Add a little more water if it has gone dry. Filling the steamer takes a light hand.
4. Spoon the flakes into the steamer loosely. Never press or pack them down. Steam must be able to move through it. Steaming it takes about fifteen minutes.
5. Bring the water to a boil below. Set the filled steamer over it. Cover it over with a tight lid. Let it steam for about fifteen minutes. Steam should be rising through the top. Judging when it is done takes a taste.
6. Taste a spoonful from the middle. Give it another five minutes if it is hard. Turn it out onto a warm plate. It should come out as a solid round.
7. Cut it into wedges like a cake. Put a knob of butter on the hot surface. Let it melt down into the grains. Warm coconut milk poured over is very common. Serving it sweet is also done.

Technique

• Couscous reached Portugal from North Africa and travelled from there to Brazil, where it was remade with maize because wheat does not grow well in the Northeast.
• Flocão de milho is flaked maize sold specifically for this dish, and finely ground fubá will not work in its place.
• The flakes must be damp but still loose, holding together briefly in a squeezed fist and crumbling when poked.

Substitutions

• A steamer basket lined with muslin over a pan does the same job as a cuscuzeira.
• Coarse cornmeal flakes stand in for flocão, though finely ground cornmeal will not.

Variations

• Butter melted in, or warm coconut milk poured over, are the two classic finishes.
• Fried egg, grilled queijo coalho or shredded carne de sol all go with it.
• A sweet version with milk and sugar is eaten by children.

History

A steamed dish made from coarse cornmeal, documented across Brazil’s northeastern region as a significant traditional staple food, its name and steaming technique tracing distantly back to North African couscous, brought to Brazil through Portuguese colonial trade connections though the dish developed into something using corn rather than wheat semolina, reflecting corn’s much greater agricultural importance across northeastern Brazil. Its preparation, steaming moistened cornmeal until it becomes light and fluffy, is typically served for breakfast alongside egg, cheese or milk, reflecting a hearty, substantial start to the day common across Brazil’s northeastern rural communities. Cuscuz nordestino remains a staple breakfast food specifically associated with Brazil’s northeastern regional cuisine.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cuscuz nordestino?

Cuscuz nordestino is a breakfast from Brazil: steamed corn couscous with butter, eggs or cheese, northeastern mornings. A steamed dish made from coarse cornmeal, documented across Brazil’s northeastern region as a significant traditional staple food, its name and steaming technique tracing distantly back to North African couscous, brought to Brazil through Portuguese colonial trade connections though the dish developed into something using corn rather than wheat semolina, reflecting corn’s much greater agricultural importance across northeastern Brazil. Its preparation, steaming moistened cornmeal until it becomes light and fluffy, is typically served for breakfast alongside egg, cheese or milk, reflecting a hearty, substantial start to the day common across Brazil’s northeastern rural communities. Cuscuz nordestino remains a staple breakfast food specifically associated with Brazil’s northeastern regional cuisine.

How long does Cuscuz nordestino take to make?

Cuscuz nordestino takes 10 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Cuscuz nordestino?

Yes, within limits. A steamer basket lined with muslin over a pan does the same job as a cuscuzeira. Coarse cornmeal flakes stand in for flocão, though finely ground cornmeal will not.

What is the most important thing to get right in Cuscuz nordestino?

Butter is melted into it or coconut milk poured over. Understanding the cuscuzeira helps. Steam rises through and cooks them. The grain never touches the water. Line a steamer basket with muslin. Set it over a pan of boiling water. The basket must sit clear of the water.