One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

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by Kylie PerrottiPosted on January 30, 2023February 2, 2023

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This one-pot cod with couscous will be your new go-to easy cod recipe. Paired with olives and Castelvetrano olives–or any green olive–this one-pot recipe is easy, quick, and delicious.

Cod is probably my favorite type of fish. It has a mild, subtly sweet flavor, but the fish is firm and holds up while cooking. Its mild flavor makes it a blank canvas for any kind of dish or flavor pairings. If you think you don’t like fish, cod is the perfect place to start, as it doesn’t really have any strong or fishy flavors.

One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (1)

This one-pot cod is paired with Castelvetrano olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Finished with lemon juice and parsley, this cod recipe brings bold flavors with a bright finish. The best part is that it all happens in one pot in just about 30 minutes total.

I use pearl couscous–also known as Israeli couscous or ptitim–for its quick cooking time. Pearl couscous is not the same as regular couscous, and it’s more closely related to (though still different!) Italian fregola than couscous found in Maghrebi cuisine.

What is pearl couscous? It’s a type of pasta made from semolina flour and water. It’s an extruded pasta, similar to the Italian orzo. In short, unlike traditional couscous, which are small and traditionally hand-rolled, Israeli couscous balls are much larger, made by a machine, and then toasted.

In some instances, you can swap the pearl couscous for traditional couscous. However, be mindful of the difference in cooking time. Hand-rolled, small couscous only takes 5 minutes to steep. Pearl couscous, on the other hand, takes about 12–13 minutes to cook.

For this recipe, I recommend not replacing the pearl couscous with regular couscous. Instead, use an Italian fregola or orzo. If using orzo, you’ll want to remove the fish and then continue cooking the orzo until al dente as it may need more time than pearl couscous.

One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (2)

How to make this one-pot cod with couscous recipe:

To make this dish, you need just a handful of ingredients, including:

  • Shallot, garlic, and butter as the base of the broth
  • Pearl couscous
  • Castelvetrano olives and sun-dried tomatoes will add a bold, salty, robust flavor to the couscous
  • Cod, cut into 4 4-ounce portions
  • Extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and lemon juice add just a nice bit of zip and richness to the dish

Making it is so unbelievably easy, and you’ll love how quickly it comes together.

  • Step 1: Sauté the shallot, add the garlic, and then melt the butter into the pot.
  • Step 2: Toast the couscous in the pot briefly, and then add the water, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Step 3: Bring everything to a low boil and arrange the cod on top. Drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley.
  • Step 4: Cover and cook on low until the cod is cooked through and the couscous is tender, about 12–13 minutes.
  • Step 5: Remove the lid and add lemon juice. Carefully spoon the cod onto a plate. Stir the couscous in the pot and add a bit more parsley.

That’s it! From there, simply divide the couscous between shallow bowls and place a cod filet on top. Serve with more lemon.

One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (3)

One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (4)

One-Pot Cod with Couscous

This one-pot cod with couscous will be your new go-to easy cod recipe. Paired with olives and Castelvetrano olives–or any green olive–this one-pot recipe is easy, quick, and delicious.

4.40 from 23 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 407kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots, peeled and diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, torn in half or use 6-ounce can green olives
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
  • cups water
  • 4 4- ounce cod filets
  • cup loosely packed fresh parsley, minced and divided
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

Instructions

Cook the aromatics:

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.

Toast the couscous:

  • Melt butter in the pot. Add the pearl couscous and cook until lightly toasted. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

  • Stir in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

Simmer the cod and couscous:

  • Pour in the water and bring to a low boil.

  • Carefully arrange the cod on top in an even layer. Drizzle with 1–2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Add half the minced parsley. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until cod is completely cooked and pearl couscous is tender.

Finish the cod:

  • Remove the cover. Add lemon juice to the cod and remove the fish from the pot.

Finish the couscous:

  • Taste and season the couscous. Stir in the remaining parsley.

To serve:

  • Divide the couscous between shallow bowls and serve with the cod on top. Enjoy with a lemon wedge on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 8mg

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One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

One-Pot Cod with Pearl Couscous | Tried and True Recipes? ›

The ideal Israeli couscous-to-water ratio is about 1 cup of dry couscous to 1½ cups of water, but you can also cook Israeli couscous like pasta, simply draining off any excess liquid once the couscous is al dente. For even more flavor, sub the same amount of water for chicken broth or vegetable broth.

How much water do I need for 2 cups of pearl couscous? ›

The ideal Israeli couscous-to-water ratio is about 1 cup of dry couscous to 1½ cups of water, but you can also cook Israeli couscous like pasta, simply draining off any excess liquid once the couscous is al dente. For even more flavor, sub the same amount of water for chicken broth or vegetable broth.

Does pearl couscous double in size when cooked? ›

Pearl couscous: You need 1 cup of uncooked pearl couscous, which will yield about 3 cups when cooked. Water: For a cup of uncooked couscous, you need 1 ½ cups water or other cooking liquid (such as broth).

How do you cook cod without it getting tough? ›

Try a gentle cooking method: Instead of adding fat, you can also try a gentle cooking method like steaming or cooking en papillote. Both of these methods help to preserve Pacific cod's high moisture content and produce incredibly tender results.

How much water do you need for pearl couscous? ›

To prepare Israeli couscous, you'll need 1 ¼ cups of water for every 1 cup of dry couscous. Transfer the couscous to a large pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toast it over medium heat. stirring constantly, until golden brown.

Is cod better in the oven or pan? ›

Pan-frying is a great option for cod fillet or loin as there is time to produce a lovely crispy skin without overcooking the delicate, flaky flesh. This is the way cod and similar white fish are often cooked in restaurant kitchens and is very simple to do at home.

Should you rinse cod before cooking? ›

Per WebMD, fish is similar to poultry in that washing it raw can cause any bacteria to spread around your sink and kitchen, increasing the likelihood you will get sick.

Should you soak cod in milk before cooking? ›

Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes

In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.

Why is my pearl couscous mushy? ›

Use the correct amount of water or stock

With too much liquid, your couscous will go soggy. With not enough, it'll be hard. So, take the time to make all measurements accurately.

Can you overcook pearl couscous? ›

Couscous is a pasta. Like any other pasta, couscous would be overcooked and mushy if you cooked it in a slow cooker for any duration longer than 10-15 minutes. Even 15 minutes may be too long.

Does pearl couscous need to be rinsed? ›

Pearl couscous cooking instructions

Begin by rinsing couscous in a colander with cold water, making sure to agitate the couscous with your hands to rinse it. Drain immediately. Add couscous and olive oil, reduce to a simmer.

What makes cod taste good? ›

Cod is a beautifully mild and buttery-flavored fish and this preparation couldn't be easier or more stunning. Coat it in paprika and a few other spices, then pan fry it until tender and juicy. It takes under 10 minutes to get restaurant-quality flavor!

Why did my cod turn out rubbery? ›

The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery. In addition, overcooked fish can have a severe lack of flavor, as the heat causes the natural oils in the fish to evaporate.

Why does cod fall apart when cooking? ›

As fish cooks, proteins in the muscle fibers coagulate and the flesh changes from translucent to opaque in appearance. When the collagen softens in heat, it loses its structure and turns to gelatin; the muscle fibers have little to hold them together and the fish separates easily into flakes.

How much couscous for 2 cups cooked? ›

How much does 1 cup dry Moroccan couscous yield? 1 cup of dry couscous will give you about 2 to 2 ½ cups of cooked couscous, which should generously feed 4 people (you should budget ⅓ cup to ½ cup per person).

What is the ratio of water to couscous? ›

Only boiling water is needed to cook your couscous, but the important bit is the couscous to water ratio, you should abide by the 1:1 rule. So, for 60g of couscous, you will need 60ml of boiling water.

How many servings is 2 cups of couscous? ›

You'll want to figure out how many people you need to serve and then you'll know how much couscous to make. I usually figure about 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry couscous per serving. For my family of 4, I use 1 to 1 1/2 cups dry couscous.

How much couscous do I need for 2 people? ›

Couscous portion size
Couscous portionsCouscous per personBoiled water
160g90ml
2120g180ml
3180g270ml
4240g360ml
6 more rows
Feb 1, 2021

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