Kabeljou in Saffron Sauce with Couscous

Ingredients

• 1.2 kilogram kabeljou (cob / kob) or Cape salmon, filleted and skinned; cut into large pieces
• 2.4 tablespoon butter, for frying fish
• 3.salt, pepper, and paprika, for seasoning fish
• 4.4 tablespoon unsalted butter, for saffron sauce
• 5.2 leeks, finely chopped; for saffron sauce
• 6.1 teaspoon garlic, minced; for saffron sauce
• 7.250 millilitre dry white vermouth (Cinzano), or Noilly Prat
• 8.saffron, 1 packet or a generous pinch of saffron threads
• 9.250 millilitre vegetable or chicken stock, for saffron sauce
• 10.cream, 1–1½ cups; to taste
• 11.salt and black pepper, to taste
• 12.4 tablespoon butter, for couscous
• 13.0.5 green or yellow pepper, very finely chopped; for couscous
• 14.0.5 red pepper, very finely chopped; for couscous
• 15.250 millilitre couscous
• 16.250 millilitre vegetable or chicken stock, for cooking couscous
• 17.1 tablespoon oil, for couscous

Method

1. 1.SAFFRON SAUCE: Sauté leeks and garlic in butter until soft. Add wine and reduce on high heat approximately 8 minutes. Add stock and reduce again. Lastly add cream and on low heat reduce until quite thick. Strain sauce before serving.
2. 2.COUSCOUS: Sauté peppers in butter until softened. Bring stock and oil to a boil. Pour in couscous and allow to swell for 2 minutes. Stir in peppers. Set aside. May be reheated in microwave.
3. 3.TO COOK FISH: Melt butter in a large frying pan. Cut fish into large pieces. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Lightly sauté fish for a few minutes on each side.
4. 4.If making ahead, undercook the fish and place in baking dish until ready to serve.
5. 5.Serve fish over couscous with saffron sauce spooned over.

Notes

• Serves 8–10.
• Saffron sauce may be reheated on low heat or in microwave.
• The recipe was annotated with a tip at the top of the card: 'To cook: measure the chest/thickest part of the fish — 10 minutes per cm of thickness.'

Margin notes

• Handwritten at top: 'To cook: measure the chest part of fish 10 per cm' (cooking time guide)
• Dry white Cinzano: handwritten annotation '(or Noilly Prat, to make wine)'
• Cream: handwritten 'to taste'
• Handwritten: 'CUT CREAM — STR WELL' (stir well?)
• Various illegible annotations throughout