Trapani seafood soup with couscous

(Cuscus con zuppa di pesce)

Serves 6

6 clams (vongole)

6 mussels

400 g (14 oz) baby squid

2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 medium onions, cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) dice

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) dice, reserving the juices

2 litres (70 fl oz/8 cups) fish broth

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

300 g (10½ oz) couscous

12 large scallops

200 g (7 oz) white-fleshed fish, such as snapper, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) dice

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

If they haven’t been purged, place the clams in a solution of cool water and sea salt for several hours or overnight in a cool part of the house (if you refrigerate them, they’ll close up and won’t ‘spit out’ the sand). As a guide, use 30 g (1 oz) of salt for each 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) of water.

To prepare the mussels, lightly scrub away the dirt and barnacles on the shell and ‘de-beard’ by pulling away the hairy tendrils entering the shell. To prepare the squid, pull the insides out and trim away the tops, cutting just above the tentacles. Discard the ‘spine’ from inside the squid. Cut along the side of the squid and lay flat, scoring with a knife and chopping into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion and half of the garlic and slowly sauté until they become translucent. Raise the heat and add the tomato. Add the fish broth, bring to the boil, season with the sea salt and black pepper and then slowly simmer for 30 minutes. While this is cooking, prepare the couscous by placing it in a deep bowl and covering it with salted hot water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the seafood to the broth and raise the heat. Be sure to add the mussels and clams first to let them cook for a minute before adding the rest of the seafood as they take a little longer to cook. Cook the seafood for a few minutes until all the mussels and clams have opened. Be careful not to overcook the fish. Stir in the parsley and remaining garlic. Run a fork through the couscous to separate the grains and spoon into the bottom of a deep soup bowl. Place the soup on top and finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.