Sicilian Fish Couscous

This Sicilian dish, a famous specialty of Trapani, is totally clay oriented. First the grain is seasoned with salt, pepper, bay leaf, sliced onion, and a heavy, rich olive oil and allowed to stand for one to two hours in a wide, shallow clay dish with sloping sides called a mafaradda. I usually use an unglazed flowerpot saucer or the bottom of a tagine. Then it’s transferred to a clay colander, steamed over boiling water, and served with a rich tomato-based fish stew also cooked in a