The Recipe
Serves: 4 people
Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 1hr 30 minutes
This is a unique and flavourful dish that originates from the Sicilian city of Trapani in Italy. This dish is a fusion of Italian, North African, and Arab culinary traditions, reflecting the cultural influences that have shaped the region's history.
I have journeyed back to Sicily again to create this wonderfully full-flavoured seafood dish using all local seafood and vegetables. Trapani is known for their seafood couscous dishes and this is a little variation of it. The leftover broth can be added when serving this dish or you can simply freeze it and save it for another day. It is a fabulous communal dish that should be shared with friends and a delicious bottle of wine.
INGREDIENTS
PESTO
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
10g flat-leaf parsley leaves
60g almonds
1 tsp salt
10g/2-3 cloves garlic
FISH STOCK BROTH
4tblsp good olive oil
120g/1 small onion, roughly chopped
80g/1 stick celery, roughly chopped
100g/1 small carrot, roughly chopped
2-4 stalks of parsley (reserve the leaves
2tsp salt
2 bay leaves
250mls passata
1 tsp chilli flakes
100mls white wine
1L water
Seabass head and bones
Half of the prawn heads and shells
COUSCOUS
200g couscous
300g fish stock broth
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
SEAFOOD
400g seabass, whole
400g prawns
250g clams
Chopped parsley leaves
METHOD
Blend all ingredients and season to taste. I like to keep the pesto a little bit chunky but you can blend until smooth if your heart desires. Set aside
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan
Cook onions until soft, add in parsley stalks, chopped celery, carrot, fish scraps and prawn shells
Add in bay leaves, salt, white wine, passata, chilli flakes and water
Bring this mixture to the boil and then allow it to simmer for a good 45mins – 1 hour, covered. Halfway through the simmer, add half of the pesto. When the broth is done, check and taste for seasoning. Add a little cracked pepper.
Finely strain the stock and keep warm
Mix the cinnamon powder through the couscous. Add it to the warm stock and cover for 8-10 minutes then fluff up nicely with a fork
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium fry pan
Add in clams, fish and prawns with a dash of white wine, chopped parsley leaves and 150 ml of the stock. Toss and cover and allow to steam until clams have opened and the fish is cooked through.
TO SERVE
Mix fish, shelled prawns and clams through the couscous and spoon onto a large serving plate.
Top the couscous off with the whole cooked prawns and the remaining pesto.
