Aromatic North African Fish with Couscous

This is my variation of a North African Stew - with the fish cooked seperately from the sauce. The ingredients list is long, I know, but most of the spices are for the Ras-El-Hanout which you can buy pre-prepared (Steenberg's do the best that I know of). This spice mix varies from recipe to recipe - try making your own and you can omit some things you're not keen on, or add others you think might work. As for the fish - use any fillets of firm fish that are available and sustainable. From line caught sea bass, mackeral, sea bream, to monkfish. Also add a few shellfish for a different texture - e.g. prawns (buy them whole) or scallops or even mussels (which you could add to the sauce at the end). I know this looks like a long recipe to do - but it's really not. It takes less than hour in total in the kitchen - and the aromas are so special, that you'll probably want to take your time over it and spend as much time there as you can.

First of all make your Ras-El-Hanout.
Ingredients (makes enough for 8 people - store any left in an airtight jar if this is too much): 2 tsp each of cumin seeds, ginger powder, fennel seeds, turmeric, coriander seeds & Salt; 1 tsp each of cayenne pepper, dried chillis, ground cloves, freshly ground nutmeg & black pepper; one small cinnamon stick.
Method: place all the spices together in a warm, dry, heavy pan and gently heat to release the oils and flavours, then crush in a pestle and mortar. Sieve into a bowl to capture any larger pieces of cinnamon stick.

For the Fish: Place 3 tbs of olive oil in a dish and add 1 heaped tbs of the Ras-El-Hanout and mix together. Coat the fish fillets well in the spicy oil. Shell the prawns (removing the black membrane) or shell your scallops and coat well with the spicy oil. Cover the dish with cling film and place in the fridge. You can do all of this well in advance.

For the Sauce: 2-3 tbs olive oil; 2 medium red onions, finely sliced; 1/2 head of 1 small fennel - very finely chopped; 1 small preserved lemon (scoop out the flesh and only use the skin) - very finely chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 small red chilli finely chopped; 1 tin of chopped tomatoes; a good pinch of saffron threads; around 300ml of good quality fish stock; 1 heaped tsp of runny honey (Ulmo Blossom or Orange Blossom honey works well)- to be added at the end of cooking.
Method: In a heavy bottomed pan (with a lid) add the oil and 2 tbs of your Ras-El-Hanout mix and gently fry for 1 minute before adding the onions and fennel. Fry for another 2-3 minutes before adding the preserved lemon, garlic & chilli. Gently fry for another couple of minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes, one spoon at a time, mixing well. Make sure the tomatoes are well broken down into the sauce, then add the fish stock and finally the saffron threads. Mix well, turn the heat down to low and place the lid on the pan. The sauce will take around 30-40 minutes to cook through and it should be almost jam-like in consistency. Check it and give it a good stir now and again making sure it doesn't stick to the pan at all.

For the Couscous: Put a good glug of olive oil in a pan and warm it through. Tip in around 50g of couscous per person, stirring well with the oil to coat the grains. Remove from the heat and pour in enough boiling water to just cover the couscous and no more. Sstir well, then pop the lid on the pan and leave for 5-10 mins. Fluff up with a fork, and add salt to taste, a good bunch of chopped fresh coriander (or flat leaf parsley or both) and the grated zest of a lemon.

To finish the dish: Heat a large non-stick frying pan on the hob. Add a little olive oil and when hot add your fish fillets, skin-side down to sear. The fish fillets should take no more than 4-5 mins to cook; the prawns or scallops 2-3 minutes. If you're using mussels, add them now into your sauce and replace the pan lid, giving the pan a bit of a shake - the mussels are ready when the shells open (discard any that do not open). Check your sauce for seasoning and add the honey, stirring in well. Spoon a heap of couscous onto each warmed serving plate; add the sauce to the side and place the fish on top of the sauce. Serve immediately and listen to the groans of joy!