[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":416},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:tunisian-couscous":3,"recipe:country:tunisia":210},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":76,"diet":78,"mainIngredients":81,"ingredients":87,"instructions":166,"nutrition":192,"images":198,"keywords":202,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-couscous","Couscous bil Hout (Tunisian Fish Couscous)","كسكسي بالحوت","kus-KSEE bil HOOT","tunisia","Sfax and the Sahel","🐟","Steamed semolina soaked in a red harissa-and-tomato broth, served with thick grouper steaks, chickpeas, quince and potato. The Friday dish of the Tunisian coast, hotter than its Moroccan cousin.","Couscous bil hout is Tunisia's coastal Friday lunch: fine semolina steamed three times over a broth of tomato, harissa and tabil spice, then drenched with that broth and topped with thick steaks of firm white fish, chickpeas, potato and — the detail that surprises outsiders — wedges of quince. The taste is deeply savoury and properly hot, with the sweetness of the quince cutting the chilli and the fish staying moist because it goes into the pot last. It takes an afternoon, most of it unattended, and one pot does everything.","Couscous belongs to the whole Maghreb — Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia jointly had its knowledge and practices inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List in 2020, a rare piece of shared cultural diplomacy — but each country steers it somewhere different. Morocco tends towards golden, mild, sometimes sweetened versions. Tunisia turns it red. Tomato paste and harissa go into the broth from the start, the spicing runs to caraway and coriander seed rather than cinnamon and ginger, and the finished plate arrives with a colour that tells you immediately which side of the border you are on.\n\nOn the coast the protein is fish rather than lamb. Sfax, Mahdia and the fishing towns of the Sahel cook couscous with grouper, sea bream, or whatever came in that morning, cut into steaks thick enough to survive the pot. Quince is the traditional companion in this version, added with the vegetables so it softens without collapsing, and a bowl of the broth is often served alongside for people to add more as they eat. In some households the fish is briefly fried before it joins the broth, which firms the surface and deepens the colour of the sauce.\n\nWhat makes couscous couscous is the steaming. The grains never boil. They are moistened, raked apart by hand, and lifted over the simmering broth in a perforated top pot — the couscoussier — so they swell in aromatic steam, are broken up and oiled again between rounds, and finish light and separate rather than clumped. The three-steaming method is the part most home cooks abroad skip, and it is precisely the part that separates real couscous from reconstituted grain. If you have never done it, this is the dish to learn on: the broth cooks itself while your hands are busy with the semolina.",[15,16,17,18],"Uses the real three-steam method, with clear instructions on what the grains should look and feel like at each stage.","Fish goes in for the final minutes only, so the steaks arrive whole and juicy instead of shredded through the broth.","Quince, chickpeas and potato are timed separately rather than dumped in together, so nothing turns to mush.","Includes a workable no-couscoussier method for anyone cooking this in a normal kitchen.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Ask for the fish in steaks 3 cm thick, bone in. Bones and skin hold the pieces together in the pot and give the broth body that fillets cannot.","Seal the join between the two pots with a strip of foil or a damp twisted cloth. Steam that escapes at the rim is steam not cooking your grain.","Between steamings, spread the couscous on a wide tray and rake it with wet fingers or a fork until every clump breaks. Grains left stuck together stay hard in the middle.","Taste the broth for salt before you ladle it over the couscous — the semolina absorbs it and dilutes the seasoning, so the broth should taste slightly strong on its own.","Do not drown the couscous all at once. Add broth in stages, wait a minute for it to be drunk up, then judge whether it needs more.","If quince is out of season, leave it out rather than substituting apple, which disintegrates and turns the broth sweet.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Grouper or sea bass steaks","Cod loin, monkfish, hake or thick snapper steaks","Any firm white fish that holds together works. Avoid thin, flaky fillets, which fall apart in the broth within minutes.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Couscoussier","A metal steamer basket or colander lined with muslin, set over a stockpot","The basket must sit above the liquid, not in it, and the gap at the rim needs sealing with foil so the steam is forced through the grain.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Quince","A wedge of pumpkin or a small turnip, added with the potato","Neither tastes like quince, but both give the same role — a sweet, dense vegetable to balance the harissa.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Couscous bil allouche","The inland version, with lamb shoulder on the bone instead of fish, browned first and simmered for an hour before the vegetables go in.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Couscous bil khodra","A meatless plate of the same red broth with carrot, courgette, chickpeas, potato and cabbage — everyday food rather than Friday food.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Masfouf","Sweet steamed couscous with dates, raisins, almonds and orange blossom water, eaten at breakfast or during Ramadan rather than as a main course.",[50],"A bowl of extra hot broth for ladling over, and a saucer of harissa thinned with olive oil and lemon juice.","Keep the couscous and the broth-and-fish separately in the fridge for up to 2 days; stored together the grains turn to porridge. Reheat the couscous by steaming it again for 10 minutes or by sprinkling it with water and microwaving under a damp cloth, and warm the broth gently so the fish does not break up. Leftover broth freezes well on its own for 3 months and makes an excellent base for a second, quicker couscous with vegetables only.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"Why steam the couscous three times instead of just soaking it?","Soaking gives you hydrated grain; steaming gives you cooked grain. Each round lets the semolina swell in aromatic steam, and the raking with oil and water in between separates the grains so they finish light and individual. Instant couscous soaked in hot water is a different and much heavier product.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Can I use instant couscous for this?","You can, and plenty of people short on time do. Hydrate it with the hot broth instead of plain water at a ratio of roughly one part couscous to one and a quarter parts liquid, cover for five minutes, then fork it through with olive oil. The dish will taste right even though the texture is denser than steamed couscous.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"How is Tunisian couscous different from Moroccan couscous?","Tunisian couscous is red and hot: tomato paste and harissa go into the broth, and the spicing runs to caraway, coriander seed and chilli. Moroccan couscous is usually paler and milder, often with cinnamon, ginger and saffron, and sometimes with sweet elements like caramelised onion and raisins. Fish couscous in particular is a Tunisian coastal speciality.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"My fish fell apart in the broth. What went wrong?","Either the pieces were too thin, the fish was too delicate a variety, or it cooked too long. Fish steaks need only 10 to 12 minutes in a gently bubbling broth, and they should go in at the very end while the vegetables are already tender. Move them with a slotted spoon rather than a ladle when serving.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"Can I make any of this in advance?","The broth and vegetables can be made a full day ahead and reheated, which actually improves the flavour. Steam the couscous and cook the fish fresh on the day. If you want to get further ahead, the first two steamings of the couscous can be done in advance and the final one left until just before serving.",[69,70,71],"Couscoussier, or a stockpot with a steamer basket that sits above the liquid","Large wide tray or roasting dish for raking the grains","Slotted spoon",6,35,80,"medium",[77],"main",[79,80],"pescatarian","dairy-free",[82,83,84,85,86],"white-fish","couscous","chickpeas","quince","harissa",[88,93,98,102,107,110,115,119,123,125,128,131,133,136,140,144,147,150,153,158,162],{"ref":83,"qty":89,"unit":90,"name":91,"group":92},600,"g","medium-grain couscous","For the couscous",{"ref":94,"qty":95,"unit":96,"name":97,"group":92},"olive-oil",4,"tbsp","olive oil",{"qty":99,"unit":100,"name":101,"group":92},1,"tsp","fine salt",{"qty":103,"unit":104,"name":105,"noScale":106,"group":92},350,"ml","warm water, for hydrating the grains",true,{"ref":94,"qty":108,"unit":96,"name":97,"group":109},5,"For the broth",{"ref":111,"qty":112,"unit":113,"name":114,"group":109},"onion",2,"piece","onions, finely chopped",{"ref":116,"qty":108,"unit":117,"name":118,"group":109},"garlic","clove","garlic, crushed",{"ref":120,"qty":121,"unit":96,"name":122,"group":109},"tomato-paste",3,"tomato paste",{"ref":86,"qty":112,"unit":96,"name":86,"note":124,"group":109},"start with one if yours is fierce",{"ref":126,"qty":112,"unit":100,"name":127,"group":109},"coriander-seed","ground coriander seed",{"ref":129,"qty":99,"unit":100,"name":130,"group":109},"caraway","ground caraway",{"ref":132,"qty":99,"unit":100,"name":132,"group":109},"turmeric",{"ref":84,"qty":134,"unit":90,"name":135,"group":109},240,"cooked chickpeas, drained",{"qty":137,"unit":138,"name":139,"noScale":106,"group":109},1.5,"l","water or light fish stock",{"ref":141,"qty":121,"unit":113,"name":142,"group":143},"potato","medium potatoes, halved lengthways","For the vegetables",{"ref":145,"qty":121,"unit":113,"name":146,"group":143},"carrot","carrots, halved and cut into long pieces",{"ref":85,"qty":99,"unit":113,"name":148,"note":149,"group":143},"quince, cored and cut into 6 wedges","leave the skin on so the wedges hold",{"ref":151,"qty":112,"unit":113,"name":152,"group":143},"bell-pepper","green peppers, halved and seeded",{"ref":82,"qty":154,"unit":155,"name":156,"group":157},1.2,"kg","grouper or sea bass, in 3 cm bone-in steaks","For the fish",{"qty":159,"unit":160,"name":161,"group":157},null,"to taste","salt and black pepper",{"ref":163,"qty":99,"unit":113,"name":164,"group":165},"lemon","lemon, in wedges","To serve",[167,170,174,178,182,185,189],{"title":168,"text":169,"timerSeconds":89},"Hydrate the couscous","Tip the couscous into a wide tray, sprinkle over the salt and about half the warm water, and rub the grains between your palms for two minutes until each one is damp and no dry pockets remain at the bottom. Leave it to swell for 10 minutes while you start the broth.",{"title":171,"text":172,"tip":173},"Build the red broth","Heat the olive oil in the base of the couscoussier and soften the onions over medium heat for 8 minutes without colouring them. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, harissa, coriander, caraway and turmeric and fry for 3 minutes, until the paste darkens from bright red to brick and the oil at the edge of the pan turns orange.","This frying step is the whole flavour of the dish. If it still smells sharp and tinny, give it another minute.",{"title":175,"text":176,"timerSeconds":177},"First steaming","Pour the water into the broth pot, add the chickpeas and a good pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Rake the couscous once more, pile it loosely into the top basket, seal the join between the pots with foil, and steam uncovered for 15 minutes from the moment steam first rises through the whole surface of the grain.",900,{"title":179,"text":180,"timerSeconds":177,"tip":181},"Rake, oil and steam again","Tip the couscous back onto the tray, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few tablespoons of the remaining warm water, and break up every lump with a fork until the grains run loose again. Meanwhile drop the potatoes, carrots and quince into the broth. Return the couscous to the basket and steam a second 15 minutes.","Work the hot couscous with a fork or wet hands, not dry fingers — it is hotter than it looks.",{"title":183,"text":184,"timerSeconds":177},"Third steaming","Rake the couscous one last time with the rest of the oil, add the peppers to the broth, and steam a final 15 minutes until the grains taste tender all the way through with no chalky centre. A grain pressed between finger and thumb should flatten, not crack.",{"title":186,"text":187,"timerSeconds":188},"Poach the fish","Season the fish steaks and lower them into the simmering broth, spooning liquid over the tops. Cook for 10–12 minutes, until the flesh turns from translucent to opaque and pulls away from the bone when nudged. Do not let the broth boil hard or the steaks will break.",720,{"title":190,"text":191},"Assemble the platter","Heap the couscous on a large platter and ladle over enough hot broth to moisten it thoroughly, stopping when the grains are glossy and swollen rather than swimming. Arrange the fish, vegetables and chickpeas on top, pour a little more broth over the fish, and bring the rest to the table in a bowl with lemon wedges and extra harissa.",{"calories":193,"protein":194,"carbs":195,"fat":196,"fiber":197,"sodium":188,"estimated":106},690,45,78,21,9,[199],{"src":200,"alt":201},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-couscous\u002Fhero.svg","Platter of red-tinted couscous topped with fish steaks, chickpeas, carrots, quince wedges and green peppers",[83,203,204,205,206,207],"fish couscous","tunisian couscous","harissa broth","couscoussier","maghreb","2026-08-20","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":211,"total":218,"page":99,"limit":294,"hasMore":415},[212,239,246,267,289,316,334,354,375,397],{"slug":213,"title":214,"nativeName":215,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":95,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":218,"difficulty":75,"course":219,"diet":222,"mainIngredients":223,"images":228,"keywords":232,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-brik","Brik à l'Oeuf (Tunisian Crisp Pastry with a Runny Egg)","بريك بالبيض","Tunis",20,10,[220,221],"appetizer","street-food",[79,80],[224,225,226,227,111],"tuna","eggs","capers","parsley",[229],{"src":230,"alt":231},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-brik\u002Fhero.svg","Golden half-moon brik pastry torn open with a runny egg yolk spilling over the tuna and parsley filling",[233,234,235,236,237,238],"brik","brik a l'oeuf","malsouka","tunisian pastry","tuna and egg","fried appetiser",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":74,"difficulty":75,"course":240,"diet":241,"mainIngredients":242,"images":243,"keywords":245,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},[77],[79,80],[82,83,84,85,86],[244],{"src":200,"alt":201},[83,203,204,205,206,207],{"slug":247,"title":248,"nativeName":249,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":73,"cookMinutes":217,"restMinutes":250,"difficulty":75,"course":251,"diet":253,"mainIngredients":254,"images":257,"keywords":261,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"fricassee-tunisien","Fricassé (Tunisian Fried Roll with Tuna and Potato)","فريكاسي",100,[221,252],"snack",[79,80],[255,224,141,225,256,86],"flour","olives",[258],{"src":259,"alt":260},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ffricassee-tunisien\u002Fhero.svg","Split fried Tunisian fricassé roll packed with tuna, crushed potato, egg slices, black olives and red harissa",[262,263,264,265,266,86],"fricasse","tunisian sandwich","fried roll","tuna sandwich","street food",{"slug":268,"title":269,"nativeName":270,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":95,"prepMinutes":271,"cookMinutes":272,"restMinutes":273,"difficulty":274,"course":275,"diet":278,"mainIngredients":279,"images":281,"keywords":285,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"lablabi","Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea and Bread Soup)","لبلابي",15,85,480,"easy",[276,277],"soup","breakfast",[79,80],[84,116,280,225,94,224],"cumin",[282],{"src":283,"alt":284},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Flablabi\u002Fhero.svg","Deep bowl of chickpea broth over torn bread topped with a poached egg, harissa, capers, olives and olive oil",[268,286,287,288,86,280],"chickpea soup","tunisian breakfast","stale bread soup",{"slug":290,"title":291,"nativeName":292,"countrySlug":8,"region":293,"baseServings":294,"prepMinutes":295,"cookMinutes":296,"restMinutes":297,"difficulty":75,"course":298,"diet":300,"mainIngredients":303,"images":307,"keywords":311,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-makroudh","Makroudh (Kairouan Date-Filled Semolina Diamonds)","مقروض","Kairouan",24,40,25,30,[299,252],"dessert",[301,80,302],"vegetarian","nut-free",[304,305,306,94],"semolina","dates","honey",[308],{"src":309,"alt":310},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-makroudh\u002Fhero.svg","Stacked honey-glazed semolina diamonds cut open to show the dark spiced date filling inside",[312,313,304,314,306,315],"makroudh","date pastry","kairouan","tunisian sweets",{"slug":317,"title":318,"nativeName":319,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":95,"prepMinutes":271,"cookMinutes":296,"difficulty":274,"course":320,"diet":321,"mainIngredients":322,"images":325,"keywords":329,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"ojja","Ojja Merguez (Tunisian Eggs in Spicy Pepper Sauce)","عجة مرقاز",[77,277],[80],[323,225,324,86,151],"merguez","tomato",[326],{"src":327,"alt":328},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fojja\u002Fhero.svg","Skillet of red tomato and pepper sauce with merguez slices and softly set eggs stirred through, parsley on top",[317,323,330,331,332,333],"tunisian eggs","harissa tomato sauce","one pan dinner","chakchouka",{"slug":335,"title":336,"nativeName":337,"countrySlug":8,"region":338,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":296,"cookMinutes":296,"restMinutes":271,"difficulty":274,"course":339,"diet":341,"mainIngredients":343,"images":344,"keywords":348,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"salade-mechouia","Slata Mechouia (Tunisian Grilled Pepper and Tomato Salad)","سلاطة مشوية","Cap Bon",[340,220],"side",[79,342,80,302],"gluten-free",[151,324,116,94,224],[345],{"src":346,"alt":347},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsalade-mechouia\u002Fhero.svg","Flat plate of chopped charred green pepper and tomato salad topped with flaked tuna, egg quarters and black olives",[349,350,351,352,129,353],"slata mechouia","grilled pepper salad","tunisian salad","kemia","smoky",{"slug":355,"title":356,"nativeName":357,"countrySlug":8,"region":216,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":358,"restMinutes":218,"difficulty":75,"course":359,"diet":360,"mainIngredients":361,"images":364,"keywords":368,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-tajine","Tajine Malsouka (Tunisian Baked Egg and Cheese Casserole)","طاجين ملسوقة",60,[77,220],[302],[225,362,363,227,111],"chicken","gruyere",[365],{"src":366,"alt":367},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-tajine\u002Fhero.svg","Golden baked Tunisian tajine cut into squares showing shredded chicken, parsley and melted cheese in set egg",[369,370,371,372,373,374],"tunisian tajine","tajine malsouka","baked eggs","chicken casserole","frittata","make ahead",{"slug":376,"title":377,"nativeName":378,"countrySlug":8,"region":379,"baseServings":72,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":380,"difficulty":75,"course":381,"diet":382,"mainIngredients":383,"images":386,"keywords":390,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-chorba-frik","Tunisian Chorba Frik (Freekeh and Lamb Soup)","شربة فريك","Tunis and the interior",95,[276],[80],[384,324,86,385,227],"lamb","mint",[387],{"src":388,"alt":389},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-chorba-frik\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of thick red freekeh soup with pieces of lamb, chopped parsley and a lemon wedge on the rim",[391,392,393,394,395,396],"chorba frik","freekeh soup","lamb soup","ramadan","tunisian soup","iftar",{"slug":398,"title":399,"nativeName":400,"countrySlug":8,"region":338,"baseServings":401,"prepMinutes":217,"cookMinutes":108,"restMinutes":297,"difficulty":274,"course":402,"diet":404,"mainIngredients":406,"images":407,"keywords":411,"publishedAt":208,"updatedAt":208,"authorSlug":209},"tunisian-harissa","Tunisian Harissa (Sun-Dried Chilli Paste)","هريسة",16,[403],"sauce",[405,301,342,80,302],"vegan",[116,129,126,94],[408],{"src":409,"alt":410},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftunisian-harissa\u002Fhero.svg","Deep red harissa paste in a small jar under a layer of olive oil, with dried chillies and caraway seeds beside it",[86,412,129,413,414,207],"tunisian chilli paste","dried chillies","north african condiment",false,1787360053219]