One-Pot Smoky Fish With Tomato, Olives and Couscous

Updated June 12, 2020

One-Pot Smoky Fish With Tomato, Olives and Couscous
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(2,810)
Comments
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Flaky white fish and pearl couscous simmer together in a rich, smoky tomato sauce for a punchy one-pot dinner that comes together in just half an hour. The sauce relies heavily on pantry ingredients (think anchovies, roasted red peppers, crushed tomatoes and paprika); if you like more green on your dinner plate, a lemony arugula salad is a nice complement to the smoky flavors in this dish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¼cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • ¾cup jarred roasted red peppers, roughly chopped, or 1 fresh red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  • 1medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4(6-ounce) skinless mild, white fish fillets, such as cod, fluke or halibut
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
  • 1tablespoon chopped anchovies (about 4 fillets)
  • 1teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • cup dry white wine
  • cups chicken stock, preferably low-sodium
  • 1(14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½cup olives, preferably black or Kalamata, pitted or not
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
  • ¾cup pearl couscous
  • 2teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

535 calories; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 1183 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large (12-inch) skillet (use one with a tight-fitting lid), heat the olive oil over medium. If using fresh red bell pepper, add it with the onion, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    If using roasted red peppers, add them with the garlic, anchovies, paprika and cayenne, and cook for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any brown bits from the pan. When the wine has almost entirely evaporated, add the chicken stock, tomatoes, olives, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

  3. Step 3

    Add the couscous, stir, then add the fish fillets, wiggling them lightly to submerge them in the sauce. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Carefully transfer the fish to a plate. Simmer the couscous, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it’s tender and the liquid in the pan has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and gently return the fish to the skillet to warm, being careful to keep it intact. Serve hot in shallow bowls garnished with additional parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,810 user ratings
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Comments

It is very hard to remove the fish fillets without having bits of uncooked couscous stuck to the fish. It was a tedious process removing the couscous from the cooked fish fillets. Perhaps it would be better to add the fish AFTER the couscous has finished cooking or during the last 5-7 minutes of the couscous cooking? I made this using frozen fish fillets (since I'm only doing express grocery pickups once/week) and this recipe, with its flavorful sauce, is ideal for frozen fish.

Think of this as as template. Use what you have on hand, this is not a rigid recipe. I had fish, onions, garlic, peppers, olives. Used cherry tomatoes and some sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste instead of canned tomatoes. Used Farro since I didn't have cous-cous. Used Anchovy paste instead of anchovies. Couldn't find my Cayenne so added a bit of Harissa. Delicious! Be creative. You really can't go wrong as long as you follow the general idea and don't overcook the onions/peppers.

Can we substitute quinoa for the couscous?

I added more greens (spinach and broccoli) and a squeeze of lemon and subbed chuck peas for coucous. Didn’t have anchovy paste. It was delicious.

I caught a hefty Cod today in Nova Scotia waters. I used this recipe pretty much as written. Added capers and used dry vermouth instead of wine. Also added about an ounce of Sambuca near the end to add a bit of anise flavor. It was fantastic and I will confidently serve this to my fishing buddies soon. Had a Sicilian Frappato red with it which was an excellent pairing. Five stars!

Made as written except substituted anchovy paste for anchovies cause that is what I had. - it was perfect. Also since some of the fish pieces were thicker than others I used a thermometer instead of the 6-8 minute guide and took them as they reach 140. ( using a thermometer for cooking fish and meat is a game changer- the NYT cooking should do a story it. All the guess work gone/ nothing under or over cooked)

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