Fish Couscous Trapani-style is an authentic Sicilian dish combining pre-cooked couscous with mixed seafood and a deeply flavored homemade fumet. The secret to its richness lies in building a proper fish stock from bones, heads, and shells simmered for 40 minutes, then using that fumet to hydrate the couscous.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Soak the clams in cold salted water for 2 hours, changing the water to remove the sand. Clean the mussels by removing the byssus (the "beard") and scraping the shell if there are algae residues. In a saucepan, combine the shellfish with one glass of wine and one clove of garlic. Cover and let them open over high heat for 5 minutes. Essential: shell half of them and strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve: this salty broth is the first secret of the recipe.
Then clean the fish (I recommend having the fishmonger do this). Fillet them with a very sharp knife; for the shrimp remove the heads and shells. In a large pot put the fish heads and bones, the shrimp heads and shells, about 4 1/4 cups (1 L) of water, one glass of wine, the carrot, one onion, salt and chili. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 40 minutes. Once ready, strain everything pressing well on the shrimp heads to extract the coral. Combine this fumet with the shellfish liquid you set aside.
Clean the squid by separating the tentacles from the body, then remove the eyes and the "beak". Remove the skin and empty the inside, doing this under cold running water. Once cleaned, cut them into rings about 3/8 inch wide. In a saucepan, sauté the other half onion finely chopped with the garlic and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the squid, and after one minute add about 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) of the prepared fumet, the tomato paste and the saffron. Cook for 40 minutes, adding fumet as needed. Add the fish fillets cut into pieces to the saucepan with the squid, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for about 10 more minutes. Finally add the shrimp and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes maximum.
Instead of using plain water, bring 1 cup (250 ml) of your filtered fumet prepared earlier to a boil. When it comes to a boil turn off the heat and add it to the couscous in a large bowl which you will cover with plastic wrap (so it acts as a lid).Let rest for 4-5 minutes then add a knob of butter (or one tablespoon of oil). Fluff the couscous carefully with the tines of a fork. Finally, add all the fish and shellfish sauce, mixing gently so as not to break the fillets.Toss to blend all the ingredients with a fork (the couscous must remain fluffy).Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle to taste with chopped fresh parsley.
Store cooled couscous and seafood separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat seafood gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of fumet; do not reheat couscous, serve at room temperature or chilled.
Fumet is a concentrated fish stock made by simmering fish bones, heads, shrimp shells, and aromatics for 40 minutes. It replaces plain water when hydrating the couscous, delivering deep seafood flavor that defines authentic Trapani couscous.
Yes. Prepare the fumet up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Cook the seafood components separately and store in the refrigerator. Assemble and serve fresh on the day of eating for best texture.
Use firm white fish suitable for soup such as monkfish, scorpionfish, or grouper. These hold their structure during cooking and contribute clean, mild flavor to the fumet without overpowering the shellfish.
Both shellfish are ready when their shells open after 5 minutes of steaming in wine and garlic over high heat. Discard any that remain closed. Shell half of them and reserve the cooking liquid for the fumet.
Covering with plastic wrap traps steam and allows the couscous to fully absorb the fumet evenly over 4-5 minutes, ensuring fluffy, well-hydrated grains throughout.
