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

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

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). Kosher salt: If you use broth instead of water, you may not need any salt, depending on how salty the broth is.

How do you cook cod so it's not 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 long does cod need to be cooked for? ›

Nestle cod pieces into baking dish. Step 3Bake until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes, depending on thickness of filets.

Why is my couscous rubbery? ›

Those tiny granules of couscous need time to soften. Make sure your pot remains covered to capture the steam from the hot water. Otherwise, you run the risk of undercooking your couscous, causing it to be chewy or crunchy.

How much water do you need for pearl couscous? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 Tbsp Butter optional.
  2. 1 cup Traditional Pearl Couscous.
  3. 1 ½ cups Water.
  4. ½ tsp Salt.

Is cod better in the oven or pan? ›

But more importantly, pan frying yields that deliciously browned exterior on both sides of the fish. Baking or steaming won't accomplish that same golden “crust.” Pro Tips for pan frying cod: Let fish sit at room temp in a colander to drain any excess water, particularly if your fish was previously frozen.

Should cod be soaked before cooking? ›

Soaking is the most important step in preparing salt cod. Most recipes say to soak for 24 hours. However, this is risky and may leave the fish too salty. About 48 hours is a better bet.

Should you take cod out of fridge before cooking? ›

If you salt your fish less than an hour before cooking, you can leave the fish on the kitchen counter. If you salt it for longer, refrigerate it so it doesn't spoil. Another tip is to remove the fish from the fridge half an hour before cooking.

Can you overcook cod? ›

When you overcook fish, it can become dry, tough, and lack flavor. Overcooked fish loses its natural moisture, which can result in a dry and chewy texture. The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery.

What can I add to couscous for flavor? ›

Infuse your couscous with international flavours. For a Mediterranean twist, incorporate feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Moroccan-inspired couscous can include spices like cinnamon or ginger and dried fruits. Or try an Indian-inspired version with curry powder, peas and cashews.

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.

How do you keep pearl couscous from sticking together? ›

You can toss the uncooked couscous in a drizzle of oil before adding the liquid, which coats each grain in oil and helps them stay separate. Alternatively, add a drizzle of oil as you fluff up the grains. Use a fork to fluff the couscous – stirring it with a spoon can make it go clumpy.

How much does 2 cups dry couscous make? ›

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 couscous to liquid? ›

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 water do I need for 1 cup of Israeli couscous? ›

To prepare Israeli or pearl couscous, you'll need about 1 1/4 cups of water or vegetable broth for every 1 cup of dry grain. Simmer the grains stovetop, covered, for about 10 minutes. The grains fluff up just slightly, and, like barley, they have more of an "al dente" mouth feel when done cooking.

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