Tunisian Fish Couscous

Name: Tunisian Fish Couscous
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tunisia
Ingredients: 3 cups couscous; 2 lbs firm white fish steaks; 3 tbsp harissa; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 carrots, cut into chunks; 1 fennel bulb, quartered; 2 zucchini, cut into chunks; 1 cup chickpeas, cooked; 1/4 cup olive oil; 5 cups fish or vegetable stock

6 servings30 min prep50 min cookMedium Tunisia

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Tunisian Fish Couscous

Story updated September 17, 2026

Couscous itself traces to the Berbers of North Africa over a thousand years ago, but this fish version is a coastal Tunisian specialty, often credited to Tunisian Jewish communities, possibly from the island of Djerba. Some accounts even credit visiting Maltese fishermen with introducing the pairing of couscous and fresh catch to Tunisian harbor towns.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

3 cups couscous
2 lbs firm white fish steaks
3 tbsp harissa
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 fennel bulb, quartered
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cups fish or vegetable stock

Instructions

1Heat olive oil in a large pot and fry tomato paste and half the harissa for 2-3 minutes.
2Add stock and bring to a simmer, then add carrots and fennel and cook 15 minutes.
3Add zucchini and chickpeas and simmer 10 more minutes until vegetables are tender.
4Gently add the fish steaks and poach 10-12 minutes until just cooked through.
5Meanwhile, steam the couscous, fluffing with a little olive oil and broth.
6Mound the couscous on a platter, arrange fish and vegetables on top, and serve broth and extra harissa on the side.

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