This is one of the best culinary legacies from North Africa’s domination of Sicily, and as with paella or risotto, there are dozens of variations.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
700 grams firm, white fish fillets
Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 medium celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch of chilli flakes
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup white wine
½ cup fish or chicken stock
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup caper berries
Couscous
1¼ cups instant couscous (I used Tipiak brand)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1¼ cups chicken stock or water, boiling
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
METHOD
Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chilli flakes and cumin seeds, season, cover and cook until the onion is tender. Uncover, increase the heat and pour in the wine. Let the mixture bubble up for 1 minute then add the stock, tomatoes and caper berries and bring back to the boil. Cut the fish into 8 cm pieces, season and place in the sauce. Cover and cook over a low heat until the fish is just cooked through.
Couscous: Put the couscous, cinnamon, lemon zest, olive oil, sea salt and a grind of pepper in a heat-proof bowl and pour on the boiling stock. Stir, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave for 10 minutes then fluff up with a fork and stir in the flat-leaf parsley.
To serve: Place a mound of couscous in shallow serving bowls. Place a piece of fish on top then spoon the remaining fish and sauce around the couscous.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
Related Content
latest issue:
Issue 128
This winter issue of dish is about comfort and connection. Celebrating the best of New Zealand and Australian produce, it brings together recipes from some of our most-loved chefs, including Moroccan Chicken Soup, Mint-glazed Roasted Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Braised Red Wine and Miso White Chocolate Cheesecake. Find plenty to carry you through the colder months, from flaky sausage rolls and mushroom pie, to soul-soothing pasta, nostalgic baking, weekend market inspiration and dinner party menus. There’s a spotlight on the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, recipes from Caroline Griffiths’ Midnight Spaghetti, and a deep dive into the difference between Kiwi syrah and Aussie shiraz.