For Fluffy Store-Bought Couscous, Ignore The Package Instructions

Couscous, rice, and quinoa. All three may be the perfect base for salmon or a veggie bowl, a wonderful way to highlight a flavorful sauce, and an absolute staple for college students' pantries, but one of these things is not like the other. As it turns out, couscous is not technically a grain. Rather, it's made with a combination of water and coarse wheat flour, or semolina, which is then artificially shaped into small, spherical grains. Historically, couscous was hand-rolled in Morocco and other parts of North Africa, but although the dish remains popular in these regions today, you can also acquire machine-shaped, dried instant couscous at, say, your local Safeway.

The good news is that even with store-bought couscous, you can still achieve the moist, fluffy texture that's indicative of a quality version of the dish — if you ignore the package instructions. Doing so might sound like a recipe for disaster, but boxes of instant couscous often call for far too much liquid, making the not-grain too squishy, somewhat like overcooked pasta. Instead, use about half as much water (or chicken broth for extra flavor), and then add more as needed until your couscous is no longer hard.

While proper liquid usage is the main key to flawless couscous, there are a few other tips you should keep in mind (that also may not be listed on your package instructions). First, try using room temperature water, rather than boiling water. Boiling water creates steam, which can lead to the stickiness that you may have previously encountered when making couscous. Room temperature water or broth, on the other hand, softens the couscous while still keeping each granule separate. Still, you obviously don't want to serve your couscous cold. To prevent this, you could toast it in a pan before soaking it, or put it in the oven in a foil-covered dish until warm.

Some recipes may follow a different order or include additional steps, like adding in olive oil or melted butter. Feel free to experiment with these tips to see what works best for the couscous brand you most commonly buy — maybe that means adding less water, but still boiling it, or vice versa. Cooking is all about experimentation, after all. After you've found your perfect recipe, celebrate by pairing your couscous with delicious garlic honey salmon and maybe a side of steamed veggies.