Seafood couscous is a tasty variation to prepare a unique first course, fresh and flavorful. A very summery, colorful dish that can be served both cold and hot, perfect for lunch, dinner, buffet, a great solution when you want a fish-based first course that’s a bit different from the classic spaghetti or risotto.
It’s a fairly simple dish to prepare, the pre-cooked couscous does not require cooking, you can make it with both fresh and mixed frozen fish.
I used both a mix of frozen fish and fresh clams, and the result was quite satisfactory and well received by everyone.
If you use fresh fish, it takes more time to clean, cut, and cook, of course, the couscous will have a little more flavor, but even with the frozen one, you’ll still make a good impression.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Seafood Couscous
- 10.5 oz Couscous (pre-cooked)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsps Fish broth
- 1 lb 5 oz Seafood (frozen)
- 10.5 oz Clams (fresh)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion
- 6 Tomatoes
- 5 Cherry tomatoes
- to taste Olive oil
- 1 sprig Parsley
Preparation for Seafood Couscous
To prepare the couscous, start by cleaning and cooking the fish. If using the mixed frozen seafood (octopus, small squids, shrimp, mussels, and clams) already cleaned, rinse quickly under water, place in a pan with a lid for a few minutes to slightly defrost, and reserve the liquid to pour over the couscous.
If instead you use fresh seafood, clean well, wash, and then cut into pieces, set aside the octopus, small squids, and shrimp.
Take a pan, add the mussels and clams, some oil, a garlic clove, a few cherry tomatoes, cover with the lid and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they open.
Once they have cooled, strain the broth needed for the couscous, remove the mussels and clams from their shells and save some for decoration. Put the couscous in a bowl, pour over the hot fish broth, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of oil, mix quickly, cover, and let rest.Now let’s prepare the sauce for the couscous. In another pan, pour plenty of extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped onion and garlic, and let them brown a bit, then add the washed and chopped tomatoes, and cook for a few minutes over high heat.
Add the mixed seafood you defrosted earlier or the fresh seafood cut into pieces, cook for a few more minutes, finally add the peeled shrimp, mussels, and clams.
Add salt, but not too much, continue cooking over low heat, let the sauce reduce a bit, and finally add the chopped parsley.
Take the couscous, fluff it well with a fork, and then add it to the pan with the sauce, mix and blend well, and pour into a serving dish.
Garnish the couscous with some small shrimp, clam or mussel shells, cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsley leaves.
Serve the couscous warm or store in the fridge if you prefer a cooler dish.
Tips
Seafood couscous can be made with either fresh or frozen fish. To make it more complete, you can add other types of fish to your liking (pieces of swordfish, razor clams).
You can enjoy it both hot and cold, and it keeps in the fridge for about 24 hours after preparation.
