This chard couscous stuffed fish is a delicious take on baked whole fish. With a lemony undertone, this dish is flavorful and impressive looking too.
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If you read this blog regularly, you'll know that our household's fish of choice is salmon these days. Interestingly, though, that wasn't always the case. When we lived in the UK, it was probably equally split between salmon and sea bass or sea bream.
I say bass or bream as the naming on them seems to vary from the UK to the US and what is generally considered bass here is a lot bigger. In any event, they are quite closely related and both delicious.
When the theme for this month's Fish Friday Foodies was set as stuffed whole fish, I was pretty sure I wanted to use bass/bream. After thinking about a few different options, I decided to use some of the flavors from the Sicilian-style stuffed squid I made previously to make this chard, lemon and couscous stuffed fish. It's a dish that not only looks great, it tastes fantastic as well. Plus, it's pretty easy to make and healthy too.
The inspiration for this couscous stuffed fish
Many years ago, in the days when I used to have time to try out more recipes that took a bit of time, I remember one we had a couple times was an almond-raisin-spiced couscous stuffed quail.
Couscous makes a great base for a stuffing as it can take on lots of different flavors. It's also quick to make and easy to mix with various other ingredients.
Chard and lemon were ideal flavor partners for this couscous stuffed fish and they compliment the fish so well. I used sea bream but most relatively mild white fish would be fine. I'd say bass, branzini or snapper would also be good.
How to make this baked whole fish with couscous stuffing
- First you gently cook some onion in some olive oil.
- Meanwhile, cover some couscous with boiling water.
- Add the chard stalks and garlic, cook a minute to soften them.
- Then add the chard leaves and wilt them down.
- Remove the chard mixture from heat, add the lemon juice and zest along with the couscous and a little parsley.
- Score the skin of the fish, fill the cavity with the couscous and bake until the fish is cooked.
We had this couscous stuffed fish with some green beans and roasted carrots and it was all so delicious. True, once you take the fish off the bone it is less attractive, but it doesn't matter as soon as you take a bite. Everything is moist and aromatically flavored, and with the couscous stuffing it's nicely filling without being at all heavy.
This lemony chard couscous stuffed fish is such a tasty meal that is great whether served to impress guests or just because. Either way, it's definitely one to try.
Try these other tasty fish mains:
- Chinese oven steamed fish
- Persian herb rice with fish - sabzi polow mahi
- Baked swordfish and asparagus with lentils and chermoula
- Plus get more seafood recipes in the archives.
Chard couscous stuffed fish (baked whole fish)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup couscous 45g
- 3 lb sea bream 1.3kg, approx, or other similar fish - 2 medium fish (approx 2lb 8ox cleaned weight)
- ¼ large onion
- 5 oz chard 140g, including stalks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or more as needed
- ¾ oz parsley 22g
- ½ lemon both juice and zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- Boil some water, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to just cover the couscous. Set aside, covered, while you prepare everything else.
- Clean out the fish if not properly cleaned before and score each twice on each side. Lay in a baking dish big enough for the fish to lie flat.
- Finely dice the onion. Remove the chard stems from the leaves and finely chop the stem and shred the leaves. Finely chop the garlic and roughly chop the parsley.
- Warm the oil in a medium-large skillet and soften often onion, stirring now and then. If it starts to brown, you probably need to either reduce the heat or add a little more oil or both. After around 3min, add the chard stalks and garlic. After another approx 5min, when the onion is translucent and the chard stalks appear to be softening, add the chard leaves and cook, stirring, so they wilt down.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley, lemon juice and zest, and couscous and stir all so it is well mixed.
- Divide the mixture between the cavities of the two fish and press in well.
- Bake for approx 20min until the fish are cooked through.
Nutrition
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Taylor says
Love the chard lemon couscous stuffing for this fish! Such a fabulous idea for dinner!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, the stuffing has such a great flavor, it could work on it's own as well.
Cliona Keane says
I love the idea of stuffing fish with couscous! What an innovative use of ingredients and it all sounds delicious.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, it all comes together to make such a tasty meal!
Shanika says
I love stuffing my Fish also! This recipe looks and sounds so delicious! I need to try it for sure!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, hope you enjoy!
Colleen says
Gorgeous! This recipe sounds fantastic, and I think you really have something with the couscous stuffing! Original, exciting, and I'm sure very, very, very tasty!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Colleen, it was truly delicious - I hope you give it a try!
karen says
That looks gorgeous, and I love the carrots too!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Karen, those carrots were so good as well!
loretta says
Oh my, for me there's nothing quite like a whole fish, with the bones, head and tail intact. Your chard, lemon and couscous stuffing sounds wonderful! I've never tried stuffing couscous before, but I think it's a brilliant idea. I'll definitely have to give it a go. Have you ever tried grilling whole fish it on the barbeque? I know I've tried it a few times but have been pretty unsuccessful as the skin sticks to the grill and does not produce the charred grill marks that I love. Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday, have a great weekend!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Loretta, I agree there's something special about cooking a fish whole. You know I haven't cooked a fish on the grill in years. I agree they do often get stuck - my parents had a handy metal holder for cooking fish on the grill that you put them in, clipped together then turned it as you cooked with the fish in so it took away the problem (but you still got the lovely grilling flavor).
Wendy Klik says
Great idea using the couscous for the stuffing. This sounds great!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Wendy, it's really delicious!