Cous Cous alla Trapanese
Cous Cous alla Trapanese is the symbolic dish of the meeting between Sicily and North Africa: semolina worked by hand ("incocciata") and seasoned with a rich and aromatic fish broth. San Vito Lo Capo celebrates this dish every year with the Cous Cous Fest.
Unlike North African cous cous, the Trapanese version is flavored with Mediterranean fish.
Preparation
- 1
Prepare the broth: in a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the cleaned fish, tomatoes, parsley, cinnamon and bay leaf. Cover with water and cook for 45 minutes. Strain the broth.
- 2
If using pre-cooked cous cous: dress it with oil and chopped almonds, pour boiling broth over it and cover for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- 3
If using semolina: work the semolina by hand with water and oil on a terracotta plate (mafaradda), then steam it in a couscousière for 1 hour.
- 4
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: sauté shrimp and clams in oil with garlic and parsley.
- 5
Arrange the cous cous on the plate, lay the fish on top and drizzle with hot broth.
- 6
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Chef's Tips
The fish broth is the soul of the dish: it must be rich and flavorful. Traditional Trapanese cous cous is worked by hand ("incocciata") with a circular motion of your hands on the mafaradda.