Sicily has such a unique cuisine that is really different to the rest of Italy. Relying heavily on influences from nearby North Africa, you can really see this exemplified in dishes like caponata but also in less well-known dishes – like couscous alla Trapanese.
Hailing from the western Sicilian city of Trapani, we were blown away when we were served this rustic, seafood dish at a cosy restaurant there. Fluffy, flavourful couscous is topped with a fish fillet poached in a rich, saffron-infused broth. The excess broth is served on the size should you want more.
This is a very down-home dish that’s relatively simple to make and unflashy to look at, but delicious to eat!
How to Make Sicilian Couscous with Fish
The basis of this entire recipe is the flavourful broth, which is simple to make and uses chicken stock (I just use store-bought, salt-free stock). We will then poach the fish and rehydrate the couscous in this broth.
To begin, add some olive oil, an anchovy fillet and some chili flakes to a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add a finely diced carrot, celery and shallot along with a generous pinch of salt.
Cook this, stirring every so often, until the veggies begin to brown and are nicely softened – this will take around 8-10 minutes. Once you’ve hit this stage, go ahead and add some tomato paste and a good amount of garlic.
Cook the garlic and tomato paste until everything is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens – only a few minutes. Then, pour over some chicken stock and bring it all to a simmer.
After the stock comes up to a simmer, add a pinch of saffron threads to a small bowl and ladle over a small amount of the broth over the saffron.
Allow this to steep for about 10 minutes, while you simmer the rest of the broth.
After 10-15 minutes, pour the saffron stock into the rest of the broth and then strain out the solids. Return the stock to the pot and pour some of it over your couscous. Cover the couscous with a lid and let it rehydrate for about 5-10 minutes.
Once the couscous is fully hydrated, use the tines of a fork to fluff it up and separate the granules.
While that is happening, add your fish to the simmering, strained broth. You can use any firm, white fish fillet you’d like here – something like cod or haddock would be good, as would sea bass or halibut.
The fish won’t take long to cook but it will depend on the thickness of your fillets – generally, plan for about 5-10 minutes.
Once the fish is done, it’s time to serve!
Pile the couscous onto a dish and top with the fish. You can spoon a bit more broth over it and serve the remainder of the broth on the side.
Sicilian Couscous alla Trapanese
Ingredients
- 1 anchovy fillet roughly chopped
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1-2 small shallots finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- Pinch saffron threads optional
- 120 g (⅔ cup) couscous
- 250 g (9 oz) firm white fish like cod, haddock or halibut
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, the anchovy fillet and chili flakes to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the shallot, celery and carrot along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the vegetables begin to brown around the edges – 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until very fragrant and the tomato paste begins to darken – about 2-3 minutes. Pour over the chicken stock and bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- If using, add the saffron to a small bowl and ladle over about 60ml (¼) of the hot stock mixture. Let the saffron infuse for 10 minutes while the soup simmers.
- Stir the saffron mixture into soup then strain the solids through a fine mesh sieve. Add the couscous to a medium bowl and pour over 180ml (¾ cup) of the hot, straind soup over it. Cover the bowl and allow the couscous to absorb the liquid for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- While the couscous is hydrating, return the remaining stock to the saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer once again. Add the fish, cover the pan, and gently poach until it's cooked through completely – 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
- Add the couscous to a serving dish and top with the poached fish. Serve the excess soup on the side.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Simple in both practice and execution, this rustic Sicilian fish couscous is so delicious and filling that it may become a regular in your meal rotation.
Are you looking for a Trapani-style fish couscous recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
