Serves: 4
Total Calories: 962

2 cups fish or Chicken Broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups instant couscous
salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 large tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with the juice
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets or steaks, such as swordfish, halibut, monkfish, or sea bass, and shellfish

1 Bring the broth and water to a boil. Place the couscous in a heat-proof bowl and stir in 3 cups of the liquid and salt to taste. Set the remaining liquid aside. Cover the couscous and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.

2 Pour the oil into a pot large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the bay leaf and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, saffron, and cayenne. Cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer.

3 Meanwhile, remove any skin or bones from the fish. Cut the fish into 2-inch chunks.

4 Add the fish to the pot. Cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until the fish is just barely opaque in the thickest part. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a warm plate. Cover and keep warm.

5 Add the couscous to the pot. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until hot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add some of the reserved broth if the couscous seems dry.

6 Spoon the couscous onto a deep serving platter. Top with the fish. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.

From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 962
Calories from Fat: 273

More Recipes from the Cook'n in Italy Cookbook:
* Fish and Shellfish
Baked Fish with Olives and Potatoes
Baked Sardines with Rosemary
Baked Stuffed Clams
Baked Stuffed Lobster
Batter-Fried Shrimp and Calamari
Bluefish with Lemon and Mint
Broiled Cod
Brother Devil Lobster
Calamari Stuffed with Olives and Capers
Calamari with Artichokes and White Wine
Citrus Red Snapper
Clams and Mussels Posillipo
Conch Salad
Conch in Hot Sauce
Crusty Broiled Tuna Steaks
Fillets with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar
Fish Steaks in Green Sauce
Fish in "Crazy Water"
Fish in a Salt Crust
Fried Calamari
Fried Salt Cod
Fried Shrimp
Grilled Sardines
Grilled Scallops and Shrimp
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Grilled Stuffed Calamari
Grilled Tuna and Peppers, Molise Style
Grilled Tuna with Lemon and Oregano
Halibut Baked in Paper
Marinated Tuna, Sicilian Style
Mauro’s Grilled Octopus with Fennel and Orange
Mixed Fish Fry
Molise-Style Fish Stew
Mussels with Black Pepper
Mussels with Garlic and White Wine
Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Garlicky Greens
Roasted Fish in White Wine and Lemon
Roasted Turbot with Vegetables
Salmon Carpaccio
Salmon Steaks with Juniper Berries and Red Onions
Salmon with Spring Vegetables
Salt Cod with Potatoes
Salt Cod, Pizza Style
Salted and Dried Fish
Sardines, Venetian Style
Sardinian Mussels with Saffron
Scallops with Garlic and Parsley
Scrod with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Sea Bass with Mushrooms
Sea Bass with Olive Crumbs
Seafood Couscous
Seared Tuna with Arugula Pesto
Shrimp and Beans
Shrimp in Anchovy Sauce
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Capers, and Lemon
Sicilian Swordfish with Onions
Skewered Tuna with Orange
Sole Rolls with Basil and Almonds
Stuffed Calamari, Roman Style
Stuffed Sardines, Sicilian Style
Stuffed Sole
Swordfish Rolls
Swordfish with Artichokes and Onions
Swordfish, Messina Style
Tomato-Braised Octopus
Trout with Prosciutto and Sage
Tuna and Cannellini Bean Stew
Turbot Fillets with Olive Paste and Tomatoes
Venetian-Style Calamari