| Spicy Seafood Couscous |
Ingredients3 tbls plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 8-ounce bottles clam juice
1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 c plain couscous (20 ounces)
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
3 small bay leaves
2 pounds assorted fish fillets (such as halibut, cod and red snapper), cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
Chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c hot chili paste
Preparation
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and 1 bottle clam juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor; blending to a chunky puree and return to pot. Mix in 2 bottles clam juice to make tomato broth.
Combine mussels, clams, and wine in another large pot. Cover and cook over high heat until mussels and clams open, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer mussels and clams to bowl (discard any that do not open). Strain cooking liquid into tomato broth.
Place couscous in large bowl. Bring 2 1/2 cups water, 3 cups tomato broth, and 1/4 cup oil to boil in medium saucepan. Add liquid to bowl of couscous; cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix thyme and bay leaves into remaining tomato broth in pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add fish and cover, simmer 4 minutes. Add shrimp; cover and simmer until seafood is opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Add reserved mussels and clams. Cover; let stand 2 minutes.
Mound couscous on platter. Top with seafood. Spoon some tomato broth over to moisten. Sprinkle with parsley. And serve with the mix of 3/4 cup tomato broth and hot chili paste sauce.
Serves 8-10