EPISODE 3 — FISH COUSCOUS

We continue our couscous series with the fish variation. For this recipe, we’ll need a selection of fish bones. Whenever I prepare fish, I save the bones and freeze them for future use. That way, I always have them ready whenever I make couscous. I’m using bones from red mullet, sea bream, and gurnard. We’ll also need garlic, onion, olive oil, salt, parsley, and some ice—which I’ll explain shortly. These are the ingredients for our fish stock. Next, I’ll show you everything we need to prepare the ghiotta sauce. Begin by pouring some olive oil into a large pot. Add the thinly sliced onion and three cloves of garlic. When I create something truly delicious, I feel completely satisfied. How does olive oil disappear so quickly in this house? Now add the red mullet bones. Then add the heads and tails of sea bass and allow everything to brown thoroughly. Add the parsley stems for flavor, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. By using both the fish scraps and parsley stems, this can genuinely be described as a zero-waste recipe. People often ask me why I use ice. The ice allows the cooking process to begin more gradually. This extracts the flavors more effectively and produces a clearer, more refined stock. Cover and cook for just twenty-five minutes. Now let’s prepare the ghiotta sauce for our fish couscous. For this stage, we’ll need basil, almonds, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, John Dory, salt, and olive oil. In a large pot, begin by gently sautéing the aromatics. Add extra-virgin olive oil, an unpeeled garlic clove—which we’ll remove later—and the onion. Allow the onion to soften and caramelize gently before adding the tomato sauce. Add some water, cover, and leave it to cook while I prepare the fish. For this ghiotta, I found an exceptionally fresh John Dory. Cut it into pieces and add it directly to the sauce. The fish was so large that we had to cut it in half; otherwise, it wouldn’t have fitted in the pot. Now place it inside the ghiotta sauce. Add a little more water and allow it to cook gently. It will take approximately fifteen to twenty minutes, as the fish is extremely tender and cooks very quickly. The ghiotta also calls for a basil and almond pesto, which I love to prepare using a mortar. Begin with the basil leaves, removing the stems. Take in the wonderful fragrance of the basil and begin pounding it. Add a little olive oil and continue working the mixture. Now add the almonds. Perfect. I’ve added the pesto. Now cover the pot and turn off the heat. After straining the ghiotta and carefully cleaning the fish, I’ve arranged everything in front of me. We’re ready to plate. Moisten the couscous generously with the ghiotta broth. Arrange the pieces of fish over the couscous. Finish with our basil and almond pesto. Always serve the couscous with some additional broth on the side. Our hand-rolled couscous is ready. It is served with John Dory and a fragrant basil and almond pesto. Now all that remains is to taste it. And remember: good cooking takes time.