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We all have that one reliable, go-to recipe for busy weeknights. Whether it's a simple pasta dish or a quick stir fry, there's always something we turn to because it's both easy to prepare and incredibly satisfying. My go-to midweek meal is a quick fish tagine served with vegetables and couscous.
A traditional Moroccan fish tagine is typically made using a large whole fish, often a sea bream, cooked beneath a layer of sliced potatoes and various vegetables. While delicious, this traditional preparation method can be quite time-consuming, making it challenging to whip up on a hectic weekday evening when you're juggling work, FaceTime calls with family, and the never-ending laundry chores.
To address my frustration with the lengthy cooking time, I devised a quicker version of the fish tagine. This streamlined recipe uses fish fillets and vegetables that don’t require extensive cooking. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity: the main tasks involve making chermoula—a flavorful Moroccan marinade—and slicing vegetables. I like to enhance my chermoula with a couple of tablespoons of Mina’s harissa instead of cayenne pepper. This gives the dish a more intense flavor. Mina’s harissa is one of my favorites; I can add it to almost anything without worrying about clashing flavors, and it reminds me so much of my mom’s homemade harissa.
Beyond being tasty, easy, and healthy, there's another reason you should scroll down: I filmed the entire process! Can you believe it? Many of you have been asking me to create cooking videos for a while, so a few weeks ago, I finally mustered up the courage to step in front of the camera. Filming was quite fun, although I find watching myself on screen a bit painful. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!
A quick note: if you don’t have preserved lemons on hand, don’t be discouraged! You can easily substitute thin slices of fresh lemon. And if you’re interested in making preserved lemons at home, it’s super easy! All you need are lemons, salt, and water.
Ingredients :
Serves 2
- - ½ cup chermoula
- - 2 courgettes, finely sliced
- - 2 bell peppers (any color), finely sliced or stripped
- - 2 fish fillets (such as sea bream or sea bass)
- - 80g couscous
- - 2 tablespoons olive oil
- - Salt, to taste
- - 4 small preserved lemons (or 1 large preserved lemon), roughly chopped
- - Fresh coriander, for garnish
Method :
1. Prepare the Fish and Vegetables:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Make the chermoula. Use half to cover the fish fillets, then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place the sliced courgettes and bell peppers in a medium-sized baking dish. Toss with the remaining chermoula until well-coated.
- Bake the vegetables for about 12 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
2. Cook the Fish:
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and place the fish fillets on top of the vegetables.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.
3. Prepare the Couscous:
- While the fish is baking, prepare the couscous. Follow the instructions on the package, or use this method:
- Season the couscous with olive oil and salt.
- Pour boiling water over the couscous until there's about 1 cm of water above the grains.
- Cover with a lid or cling film and let it sit for 7 minutes.
- Fluff the couscous with a spoon to separate the grains.
4. Assemble and Serve:
- Serve the warm fish fillets and vegetables over the fluffy couscous.
- Top with chopped preserved lemons and fresh coriander.
Notes :
- If you don't have preserved lemons, you can use thin slices of fresh lemon instead.
- Chermoula can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.