Tunisian Fish Couscous

📝 Ingredients

• 900 g hake fillet
• 400 g medium-grain couscous
• 2 tins chickpeas (530 g drained)
• 600 g potatoes (about 4 medium)
• 4 carrots (about 400 g)
• 400 g butternut squash, peeled and deseeded (or pumpkin)
• 2 brown onions (about 300 g) + 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp tomato purée (about 60 g)
• 1 heaped tbsp harissa (about 25 g)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (3 for the sauce, 1 for the couscous)
• 1 vegetable stock cube + 2 L hot water
• 3 tsp ground cumin (1 for the fish, 2 for the sauce) + 1 tsp ground coriander
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large stockpot or couscoussier
• Large mixing bowl
• Peeler
• Knife and chopping board
• Ladle
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Peel the carrots, halve them lengthways, then cut into 6 cm pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters, and cut the squash into large 5 cm cubes. Slice the onions, chop the garlic, and rinse and drain the chickpeas.
2. Cut the hake into pieces of about 5 cm, season lightly with salt and sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin. Keep them in the fridge: the fish only goes into the sauce right at the end, otherwise it falls apart.
3. Heat 3 tbsp oil in the pot over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 min, until translucent. Add the garlic, tomato purée, harissa, 2 tsp cumin and the coriander, then stir for 2 min: the paste darkens slightly without burning.
4. Pour in the hot water, crumble in the stock cube, season with pepper and bring to the boil. Add the carrots, cover and cook for 10 min over a medium heat. Then add the potatoes and chickpeas and cook for another 10 min at a gentle boil.
5. Add the squash and cook for 10 to 12 min, until the tip of a knife slides easily into the potatoes. Taste and adjust the salt: the sauce should be well seasoned, as it will also flavour the couscous.
6. Meanwhile, put the couscous in the mixing bowl with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt, and rub it between your hands to coat the grains. Pour over 450 ml of stock ladled from the pot, cover with a plate and leave to swell for 5 min.
7. Fluff up the couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then cover to keep warm. Turn down the heat under the pot: the sauce should only simmer, with small bubbles on the surface rather than a rolling boil.
8. Gently lay the pieces of hake in the sauce and cook for 6 to 8 min without stirring, until the flesh is white, opaque and flakes apart. Gently shake the pot rather than putting a spoon in.
9. Spoon the couscous onto a large, deep serving dish, arrange the vegetables and fish on top, then drizzle with a few ladlefuls of sauce. Serve the rest of the sauce separately, so everyone can moisten their couscous to taste.