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Fish, Italy

Trapani style fish couscous with almonds

Trapani style fish couscous is a Sicilian dish for 4 people, ready in 1 hour, medium difficulty, about €4.60 per person. It's semolina steamed with a saffron fish broth thickened with crushed almonds, served with poached pieces of white fish. The key to success is moistening the couscous gradually so the grains stay separate instead of turning into paste.

Tonight we're sailing to Trapani, with couscous soaked in a tomato fish broth laced with almonds.

Trapani style fish couscous with almonds
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

In Trapani, Sicily, couscous isn't made with meat but with fish, using a broth of heads and bones infused with saffron and thickened with crushed almonds. The semolina soaks up this broth and turns briny and mellow at once, a world away from classic North African couscous. The white fish, poached right at the end, stays tender and flakes apart with a fork.

This is more of a weekend project than a weeknight dinner, since it takes some organizing between the broth, the fish, and the semolina. Mon Chou walks you through each step so everything comes together at the right moment. It works well for a dinner with adults or a simple celebration meal, though it's trickier for very young kids because of the bones and the noticeable saffron flavor.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • White fish fillets (monkfish, cod, or pollock) 600 g
  • Fish heads or bones 500 g

Pantry

  • Medium couscousoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Blanched almonds 60 g
  • Saffronoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Flat leaf parsley 4 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Fish, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Sauté the onion and half the garlic in the oil, add the fish bones, tomatoes, and a liter of water, then let it simmer. 25 min

    Don't let it boil hard, the fish broth turns cloudy and bitter.

  2. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, put it back on the heat with the saffron, chopped almonds, and remaining crushed garlic.

    Crush the almonds coarsely, they slightly thicken the broth and give it a velvety texture.

  3. Drop the fish fillets, cut into large chunks, into the broth and let them poach at a bare simmer. 8 min

    Pull them out as soon as they flake, the fish keeps cooking from residual heat.

  4. Put the couscous in a large dish, moisten it with 400ml of hot broth, cover and let it swell, then fluff it with a fork. 10 min

    Add a drizzle of olive oil while fluffing, the grains won't stick together.

  5. Serve the couscous with the fish and a bowl of broth to pour as you like, sprinkled with parsley.

    Pour the broth at the table, the couscous keeps its texture for the first bites.

Our tips to get it right

  • Ask your fishmonger for fresh white fish heads and bones, they're what gives the broth its whole flavor.
  • Taste the broth before serving and adjust the salt, the tomatoes and bones sometimes season it less than you'd expect.
  • If you don't have a fine strainer, filter the broth through a sieve lined with a clean cloth to catch every small bone.

The variations

  • Swap the monkfish or cod for hake or sea bream, two firm white fish that hold up well to cooking.
  • For a vegetarian version, make the broth with vegetable stock and saffron, and add chickpeas instead of fish.
  • To save time, use store bought fish stock instead of homemade broth, it cuts about 25 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A squeeze of fresh lemon
  • A raw fennel salad
  • A dry Sicilian white wine

Storage

Store the couscous and broth separately in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. The fish is best eaten the same day, it dries out when reheated. Warm the broth gently in a saucepan and pour it over the cold couscous, which fluffs back up easily.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the broth ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the saffron almond broth the day before and keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently before poaching the fish and moistening the couscous.

What fish can I use if I don't have monkfish?

Cod, hake, pollock, or sea bream all work well as long as it's a firm white fish. Avoid delicate fish that might fall apart before they're even poached.

Can this dish be frozen?

The broth freezes well for up to 2 months in a sealed container. The poached fish and couscous lose texture when thawed, so it's better to prepare those fresh.

Can I replace the almonds with another nut?

Almonds give this couscous its signature velvety texture, but blanched hazelnuts work as a rounder tasting swap. Avoid stronger nuts like walnuts, which would overpower the fish.

How long does it take to make a Trapani style fish couscous with almonds?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Trapani style fish couscous with almonds?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Trapani style fish couscous with almonds cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, fish, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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