One-Pot Smoky Fish With Tomato, Olives and Couscous

Name: One-Pot Smoky Fish With Tomato, Olives and Couscous
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving; 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, roughly chopped, or 1 fresh red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced; 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced; 4 (6-ounce) skinless mild, white fish fillets, such as cod, fluke or halibut; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 large cloves); 1 tablespoon chopped anchovies (about 4 fillets); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; Pinch of ground cayenne; 1/3 cup dry white wine; 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably low-sodium; 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup olives, preferably black or Kalamata, pitted or not; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving; 3/4 cup pearl couscous; 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

By Lidey Heuck

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(2,712)
Comments: Read comments

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
1½tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
1tablespoon chopped anchovies (about 4 fillets)
1teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of ground cayenne
⅓cup dry white wine
1½cups 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

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Preparation

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.
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.
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.
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.

Ratings

5 out of 5

2,712 user ratings

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Comments

Nancy Lu.5 years ago

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.

Downsizer5 years ago

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.

Kathy5 years ago

Can we substitute quinoa for the couscous?

Dan G3 weeks ago

I used lobster tail as my protein. deliscious.

BR3 weeks ago

Really good recipe. I tend to like things a little less sour and might try a little less vinegar. Also, I read all the comments suggesting to put the fish in later rather than removing it. Totally made sense but I figured I'd try it as written the first time. Won't be doing that again!

David Head1 month ago

I have made this meal twice now - and was able to swing it by my sons, who are not generally fish lovers. The second time I used "Better Than Bouillon" Lobster Base rather than Chicken stock, which I believe made this taste more mediterranean! It's a wonderful dish - good enough that my sons were cutting slices of bread to mop up the sauce!!

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