Couscous, Large and Small - NYTimes.com I wanted to serve couscous with the North African meatballs in this week's City Kitchen column. But what kind? Fine- or medium-grain semolina couscous is always good, but I wanted something a little toothier, so the choice was the large "pearled" couscous, often called Israeli. Actually, this large-format couscous is known throughout the Middle East as moghrabieh, and is simmered like pasta, then drained. When properly cooked, it has a nutty pleasant texture, good with a saucy dish. If you can't find it, you could substitute Italian fregola. I also experimented with two other kinds of traditional large hand-rolled couscous. One was called M'hamsa from Tunisia; the other was Maftoul, a wheaty Palestinian kind. Both are excellent sun-dried artisanal products with lots of flavor. But even regular plain couscous, the grocery store type, can be perfectly wonderful, though avoid so-called instant couscous. The package directions for steeping fine and medium couscous in boiling water give good results (all couscous has been pre-steamed so it is ready in only a few minutes anyway). For fluffier couscous, follow the directions, then spread the seasoned cooked couscous out on a baking sheet to cool. Break up any lumps. Just before serving, re-heat in a colander over rapidly boiling water for 10 minutes.