Spicy Couscous with Aromatic Shellfish Broth

Name: Spicy Couscous with Aromatic Shellfish Broth
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 5-10 ml/1-2 tsp harissa; 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter, diced; 500 g/1¼ lb mussels in their shells, scrubbed with beards removed; 500 g/1¼ lb uncooked prawns (shrimp) in their shells; 500 g/1¼ lb/3 cups medium couscous; 5 ml/1 tsp salt; 600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups warm water; 45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil; 5 ml/1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric; 5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground; 500 g/1¼ lb uncooked prawns (shrimp) in their shells; 500 g/1¼ lb uncooked prawns (shrimp) in their shells; 50 g/2 oz/2 tbsp butter; juice of 1 lemon; salt and ground black pepper; salt and ground black pepper; small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, to serve; small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped, to serve; 5-10 ml/1-2 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 2.5 ml/½ tsp cayenne pepper; 120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup double (heavy) cream; 600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups fish stock

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Modern Moroccan

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2016

About

Some couscous dishes include a soup-like stew, which is ladled over the cooked couscous and mopped up with lots of bread. In this recipe, mussels and prawns have been used but you could use any shellfish, either shelled or in their shells. This is the type of dish you can enjoy on a warm evening along the coast by Casablanca or Tangier.

Ingredients

500 g/1¼ lb/3 cups medium couscous
5

Africa
Morocco
Casablanca
Tangier
Fish course
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Spicy

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Place the couscous in a bowl. Stir the salt into the water, then pour over the couscous, stirring. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Stir the sunflower oil into the harissa to make a paste, then, using your fingers, rub it into the couscous and br