Jamie's Fish Steamed with Couscous

2 people, 15 minutes, easy peasy and delicious!

The fish is steamed on top of the couscous in this dish so all the lovely cooking juices are soaked up making the couscous extra tasty.

1 handful couscous
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 red chiles, seeds removed, 1 chopped and 1 finely sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 by 2.5cm (1-inch) piece cinnamon
Knob unsalted butter
1 large bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely sliced
Handful of clams
Enough fish for 2 people - use a firm white fish eg swordfish, cut into chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, 1 cut in 1/2 and 1 cut into wedges, for serving
3 tablespoons creme fraiche


Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. It will soften and double in size.

Heat a medium-sized saucepan on a low heat, and saute the onion, garlic and chopped chiles in oil. Pound in the mortar the salt, fennel and cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cinnamon. Add to the onion with the butter, then once melted add the finely sliced coriander stalks and the couscous. Break it up with your spoon.

Turn the heat down to a very low heat, and add the fish, skin side up. Drizzle with olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper and throw in the lemon, cut in halves. Cover with some wet greaseproof paper, and cook for 15 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with the coriander leaves and sliced chile; squeeze the lemon halves, dollop on some creme fraiche and drizzle with olive oil.