Cuscuz paulista is made by cooking maize flour in a seasoned vegetable broth until it forms a moist, cohesive mixture, then pressing it into a mould. It is not assembled from cold, loose couscous with separate filling layers. In this version, sardines and vegetables are distributed throughout the mixture.
About 8 side-dish portions. Approximately 40 minutes to prepare, plus cooling and 2 hours in the fridge. Use a ring mould with a capacity of approximately 2 litres.
Ingredients
- 250 g Brazilian yellow pre-cooked flaked maize flour suitable for cuscuz paulista
- 240 g tinned sardines, drained weight
- 1 medium onion, about 120 g, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, about 250 g in total
- 100 g ready-made tomato sauce
- 100 g drained tinned sweetcorn
- 100 g drained tinned peas
- 40 g chopped pitted olives
- 500 ml water, plus up to 100 ml hot water to adjust the texture if needed
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml), plus 1 tsp for greasing
- 2 hard-boiled eggs with firm whites and yolks, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Grease the mould. Cut a few slices from one tomato to decorate the base with the egg slices. Chop the remaining tomatoes for the sauce. Reserve a few sardine pieces for decoration if you wish, and break up the remainder with a fork.
- Heat the 30 ml olive oil in a wide saucepan. Soften the onion, add the garlic and stir briefly. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down.
- Add the tomato sauce, sweetcorn, peas, olives and 500 ml water. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Add the sardines and parsley and adjust the seasoning, remembering that tinned ingredients already contain salt.
- Reduce the heat and add the flour gradually, stirring continuously. Cook for approximately 3–5 minutes, or as directed on the packet, until the mixture is thick, moist and holds together when stirred. If it is dry and crumbly, add the reserved hot water a little at a time, up to 100 ml. If free liquid remains, cook a little longer before moulding.
- Spoon the hot mixture into the mould in small portions, pressing with the back of a spoon to eliminate gaps. Do not make separate layers of filling and cornmeal. Level the surface.
- Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation. Allow about 2 hours in the fridge to firm up. Gently loosen the edges and turn out onto a plate. Serve cold.
The flour matters
Look for Brazilian flaked maize flour intended for this preparation. Moroccan semolina couscous, fine polenta and cassava flour are not direct substitutes in these proportions. Different brands absorb liquid differently, which is why a small amount of water is reserved to adjust the consistency.
If it does not unmould cleanly
Wait until it is completely cold and set. An overly dry mixture can crumble; an overly wet one may not hold its shape. If it does not turn out neatly, serve spooned portions, provided the food has been prepared and stored correctly.
Storage
Keep covered in the fridge at 0–5°C and eat within 48 hours. Cool cooked food promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, using shallow containers where needed. Mixing leftovers with new ingredients does not restart their storage time. Also follow any shorter use-by instructions on the packaging.
Storage guidance: Food Standards Agency.
Frequently asked questions
Are the eggs essential?
No. They are used for decoration and can be omitted. The consistency comes from cooking the flour in the broth.
Must I make it the day before?
No, but you need to allow time for cooling and setting. If making it ahead, keep it covered and refrigerated and observe the storage time.
