Grilled Seabream with Chermoula & Couscous

Ingredients

• 2 whole seabream, about 400g each, gutted and scaled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 30g fresh coriander, leaves and stems
• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli, deseeded
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 150 g couscous
• 200 ml boiling vegetable stock
• Warm pitta bread, to serve
• Chopped salad, to serve

Method

1. Make the chermoula: blend the coriander, parsley, garlic, chilli, cumin, smoked paprika, lemon zest and juice, and extra virgin olive oil until you have a bright, thick, vivid green sauce. Season well with salt and black pepper.
2. Score the seabream three times diagonally on each side, cutting down to the bone. Rub all over with olive oil, season inside and out, and spoon a little chermoula into the cavity of each fish.
3. Tip the couscous into a bowl, pour over the boiling stock, cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, season, and stir through a tablespoon of the chermoula so the grains turn pale green and fragrant.
4. Heat a griddle or heavy pan over very high heat until smoking. Lay the fish down and grill for 4–5 minutes per side, undisturbed, until the skin is well charred with deep griddle marks and the flesh lifts easily from the bone.
5. Pile the couscous onto warm plates and lay the seabream on top.
6. Spoon over the remaining chermoula generously, drizzle with tahini, scatter with torn mint, and tuck a lemon wedge alongside.