Moroccan Fish Tagine with Cauliflower Couscous
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
800g of Red Snapper fillets cut into large chunks
2 tbs coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
24 olives
*See full list of ingredients below
This delicious Moroccan dish is really easy to prepare and cook and tastes simply divine. It may look like a long list of ingredients but don’t be put off by that as most of them are spices.
I’ve used Red Snapper in this Tagine, but you can use any meaty fish like monkfish or halibut. It also works well with some shellfish added too if you can get hold of them. The secret to this dish’s success is not the fish – it is actually the cauliflower couscous. Couscous is a type of North African pasta made out of semolina. Like all pastas, couscous is high in carbohydrates which are simply nature’s way of storing sugar molecules. As soon as you eat any food high in carbohydrates your body breaks them down into the constituent sugar molecules. This is not good for your waistline, your overall health or your skin’s health. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that contains many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants and is low in calories and carbohydrates.
What’s more, cauliflower couscous tastes as good as the original couscous. If you’re serving this to friends or family don’t tell them it’s cauliflower until they’ve eaten and then watch their faces when you do tell them.
Recipe
- In a large pan with a lid, gently fry the onion, garlic and peppers. While these are cooking, prepare the harissa by blending all ingredients in a food processor.
- Add the olives, preserved lemons, paprika, cumin seeds, ground cumin, ginger and cinnamon stick to the pan. Gently cook for a couple of minutes before adding the harissa, chicken stock and tomatoes and allow to simmer for around 5 minutes.
- Whilst this is simmering, prepare the couscous. In another large pan with a lid, use the coconut oil to fry ground cumin, cumin seeds, dates and cashew nuts for a couple of minutes until the nuts have begun to brown off. Add your ground cauliflower and stir through for 5 minutes of so.
- Now add the fish to your tagine and cook for around 7 minutes with the lid on. Also place the lid onto your cauliflower couscous to allow it to steam, but also stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Serve immediately garnishing with fresh coriander.
Ingredients
2 tbs coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
24 olives
1 or 2 preserved lemons, chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 thumb of ginger grated
1 cinnamon stick
500ml chicken stock
200g cherry tomatoes, chopped
Freshly chopped coriander for garnish
Harissa
3 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
5 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cauliflower couscous
1 large head of cauliflower, roughly chopped then grated or ground in a food processor
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
50g pitted dates chopped
50g cashew nuts
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
