Tunisian Fish Couscous alla Goulette (Tunisian Seafood Couscous from La Goulette)

La storia di questo piatto

On the Tunisian coast, from La Goulette to Sfax, Djerba and Bizerte, couscous takes the sea as its broth, and Sunday gathers the table around it. In La Goulette it also carries the memory of the Sicilian community settled there since 1868, according to popular sources.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Medium durum wheat semolina couscous
• 200 ml Lukewarm water to moisten the semolina
• 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil for the semolina
• 5 g Fine salt for the semolina
• 800 g Dentex or grouper, in skin-on fillets (cut from a whole fish of about 1.5 kg; heads, bones and tails are kept for the broth)
• 600 g Fish heads, bones and tails (from the fishmonger or the whole fish)
• 2 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil for the fish
• 6 g Coarse salt for the fish
• 2 piece Onion
• 2 clove Garlic for the soffritto
• 2 clove Garlic for the vegetables
• 5 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil for the soffritto
• 3 tablespoon Tomato paste
• 400 g Chopped peeled tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Harissa (for the broth)
• 4 teaspoon Harissa to serve at the table
• 2 l Water for the broth
• 10 g Salt for the broth
• 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
• 300 g Carrots
• 300 g Turnips (white turnips)
• 300 g Zucchini
• 1 piece Green bell pepper
• 300 g Potatoes
• 200 g Cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 piece Lemon
• 1/2 bunch Fresh parsley

Preparazione

1. If the fishmonger has not already done so, scale and gut the fish, then remove the head and cut the fillets (about 800 g in total), slicing them into skin-on pieces 6-7 cm wide. Do not discard the heads, bones and tails (about 600 g in total; add the fishmonger's trimmings if needed): they are the soul of the broth, so set them aside in the fridge. Season the fish pieces with 6 g of coarse salt, the cumin, the paprika and 2 tablespoons of oil, massaging well with your hands so the spices penetrate the flesh. Cover and refrigerate: the fish will absorb the flavors and firm up slightly.
2. While the fish rests, turn to the semolina. Pour it into a wide bowl with 5 g of salt and 3 tablespoons of oil and rub it between your palms in circular motions, as if caressing it, until every grain is glossy and coated. Add the 200 ml of lukewarm water little by little, always rubbing: this is the moistening process (incocciatura), and it must be done patiently, without pouring everything at once. It is ready when the grains have swelled without forming lumps and, when squeezed in your hand, no longer stick. Let it rest 10 minutes, then loosen it again with your fingertips.
3. In the tall, capacious pot that will serve as the base for the couscoussière, heat 5 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Finely chop the 2 onions and the 2 garlic cloves for the soffritto and let them soften for 8-10 minutes, until translucent and sweet: if they take on color they turn bitter, so keep the flame in check. Add the tomato paste and toast it for 2 minutes, stirring; it should darken slightly and smell fragrant without sticking to the bottom. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them reduce for 5 minutes, then pour in the 2 liters of water, the fish heads, bones and tails, 10 g of salt, the pepper and 1 teaspoon of harissa. Bring to a gentle simmer and lower the heat: the broth should barely bubble, with a few lazy bubbles on the surface. After 30 minutes, skim off foam if needed, strain through a fine sieve, discard the heads and bones, and return the clear broth to the pot, which at this point still contains no vegetables.
4. Steam the semolina over the strained broth, still without vegetables: bring the broth to a simmer, set the steamer basket on top (the bottom must not touch the liquid) with the moistened semolina, and steam for 15 minutes, until you see steam rising through the entire mass. Turn the semolina out into a bowl, loosen it with oiled fingers breaking up every lump, sprinkle it with a ladle of warm salted water and let it rest 5 minutes. Return it to the basket for a second 15-minute steaming. The grains are ready when they are tender, swollen and separate; if you still feel crunchiness when you bite, give it a third round of steam. When fully cooked, remove the basket from the pot, turn the semolina into a wide bowl, cover it with a damp cloth and keep it warm (for example in a turned-off but warm oven) until serving, so it does not dry out or harden.
5. With the basket removed, cut the carrots and turnips into large chunks, the potatoes into pieces, the bell pepper into wide strips, and leave the zucchini whole or halved: large pieces hold up better during cooking. Lower into the simmering strained broth first the carrots, turnips and potatoes, which are the firmest, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add the pepper, the chickpeas and the other 2 crushed garlic cloves, and after another 5 minutes the zucchini, which should remain firm. To check doneness, insert the tip of a knife: it should slide in without resistance, but the pieces must still hold their shape.
6. When the vegetables are ready, lower the heat to minimum and lay the fish pieces into the broth with the vegetables. The liquid should only tremble, never boil: if it boils, the flesh will break apart and turn mushy. Cook for 6-8 minutes without stirring, gently swirling the pot so as not to tear the pieces. The fish is ready when the flesh turns opaque and flakes into glossy segments when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat and keep covered: it will continue cooking in the warmth of the broth.
7. Spread the semolina, kept warm under the cloth, onto a large serving platter and fluff it again with a fork; moisten it with 3-4 ladles of hot broth, a little at a time, stirring gently. It should absorb the liquid and become soft and fragrant, never dry and never waterlogged. Let it rest covered for 5-10 minutes, no longer, so it does not turn pasty and the fish stays hot (keep the fish and vegetables in the hot broth until the last moment). Then shape it into a mound, place the fish and vegetables at the center, moisten with another ladle of broth and bring the rest to the table immediately in a tureen, with the harissa, lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
8. Before serving, taste the broth: this step must never be skipped. If it lacks brightness, squeeze half a lemon into it, since acidity lifts the tomato and the sea flavor. If you want more character, adjust the salt, little by little. Each diner then adds harissa to their own plate to taste, one teaspoon at a time: the heat is for those who love it.