Couscous bel Hout (Tunisian Fish Couscous)

Couscous bel Hout is Tunisia’s coastal answer to couscous, built on a spicy tomato-harissa broth simmered with fresh fish and vegetables. It’s a Friday lunch tradition in seaside towns like Sfax and Mahdia.

Ingredients

For the broth

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups fish or vegetable stock
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 small turnip, cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 potato, cut into chunks

For the fish and couscous

• 1.5 lbs firm white fish (such as grouper or halibut), cut into steaks
• 2 cups couscous
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Build the broth base
   Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add spices and tomato paste
   Stir in the tomato paste, harissa, caraway, and paprika, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Simmer the vegetables
   Pour in the stock, add the carrots, turnip, and potato, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and fish
   Add the zucchini, nestle the fish steaks into the broth, and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until the fish is just cooked through.
5. Steam the couscous
   While the broth simmers, toss the couscous with olive oil and salt, then steam over simmering water (or prepare according to package directions) until light and fluffy.
6. Assemble
   Mound the couscous on a large platter, arrange the fish and vegetables on top, and ladle broth generously over everything.
7. Serve
   Serve with extra harissa on the side for those who like it spicier.

Leftover broth is worth saving; it only gets better the next day.