Serves 4

Ingredients

For the couscous

• 500g coarse durum wheat semolina
• 70-80ml extra virgin olive oil
• 50-60g chopped onion
• 10g chopped parsley leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• ½ lemon
• 10g salt
• pepper

For the Fish Soup

• 1-1.2kg fish (various different types of small-medium size)
• 50g chopped onion
• 20g garlic
• 30g almonds
• 40-50ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs of parsley
• 1 celery stick with leaves still attached
• 200-230g tomato puree
• 100g fresh ripe tomatoes diced
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 15-20g salt (to add to taste at the end of cooking)
• pepper (to add to taste at the end of cooking)
• 1.8-2ltrs water (leaving about 1-1.2ltrs at the end of cooking)

Method

“Rolling” of the semolina grains

• Take about a third of the semolina and pour it into a mixing bowl big enough to easily hold the whole 500g plus water for working the grains
• Mix together with your fingers using a circular motion, starting to add the water a little at a time mixing as you go. The grains of semolina puff up as they absorb the water, and being rolled around by your fingers they start clumping together to form tiny balls. Continue mixing.
• When the semolina starts to come away from your fingers easily, therefore signalling that it has absorbed the water and dried, add a little more water and continue until the grains reach a volume about six times that of the dry semolina.
• Transfer the worked semolina onto a tablecloth and spread it out until it forms a layer about 1cm thick. Continue by taking a fresh quantity of semolina, another third, and repeating the rolling process until all the semolina has been rolled.
• Be careful that the clumps do not get too big (for example clumps of about 5-6mm or more in diameter), because otherwise the quantity of couscous will not cook evenly—to avoid this happening every so often rub the semolina between the palms of your hands.
• Once all the semolina has been rolled and spread on the tablecloth leave it to rest for about 10-15 minutes. The semolina will tend to dry out a little because on the one hand the semolina grains draw the water into their centres, and on the other there is natural evaporation. At this point return all the couscous back into the mixing bowl and roll the entire quantity again, adding a little water if necessary. Continue mixing with your fingertips and rubbing the grains between your hands.
• Return it once again to the table cloth and spread it until it forms a layer 1cm deep and leave it to rest for another 30-40 minutes.
• In the meantime prepare the soup and set up the pan for cooking the couscous.

Preparing the Soup:

• Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil and soften the roughly chopped onion and crushed garlic.
• Add the flesh of the tomato and cook, as soon as the liquid has mostly evaporated add the tomato puree and mix well. Add the water.
• While the water is still cold, begin to add some smaller fish which will not be eaten later; add the herbs, finely chopped almonds and celery, and bring to the boil, leave to cook for about half an hour.
• Season to taste (salt, pepper, etc.) and add the fish that will be served with the couscous, cooking it over a medium heat for about another 15 minutes (depending on the size and cooking time of this fish).
• Remove this fish which needs boning and put it somewhere warm to serve with the couscous.

Cooking the couscous

• The pot used for cooking the couscous can be:

• traditional: stainless steel pan and terracotta couscoussier
• Tunisian style: aluminium pan and couscoussier
• modern: stainless steel pan and couscoussier

The Tunisian and modern types are easier to use because they fit together perfectly, while the traditional type has to be put together so that steam does not escape between  the pan and the couscoussier. To avoid this a dough made of flour and water known as ‘cuddura’ is used to form a seal

• Once you have chosen your cooking vessel for steaming the couscous fill it 2/3 with water and season as you like: a clove of garlic, a sprig of parsley, tomato cut in half, half an onion, some fish bones.
• Assemble the couscoussier and turn on the heat.
• While the pan for cooking the couscous is coming to the boil, return the rolled couscous grains to the mixing bowl and rub between your palms and season it with salt, pepper, oil, finely chopped onion and chopped parsley, adding yet more oil.
• As soon as steam starts to escape from the holes of the couscoussier put the couscous in and leave to cook for about an hour- an hour and 15 min. During cooking give it a good stir every 15-20 mins scraping the couscous off from the sides.
• Once cooked return to the mixing bowl again, shake out any leftover uncooked couscous and add the hot, strained fish broth, keeping some back so people can add it to their liking at the table.

Finally, cover the bowl of couscous well with a clean tea towel or similar cloth directly over the top and after a heavy wool blanket to protect it and keep it as warm as possible. Leave it to rest for at least an hour before serving.