This one-pot wonder brings together buttery tomatoes, caramelised fennel, and tender cod fillets for a comforting yet elegant meal. Simmered in a spiced, flavour-packed broth with pearl couscous and finished with fresh parsley and a touch of heat from Calabrian chili paste, it’s a dish that feels both rustic and refined — perfect for an easy weeknight dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavour.
Ingredients
- 500g cherry or mixed tomatoes
- 1 large fennel bulb (or 2 small)
- 80g unsalted butter
- 500ml chicken or fish stock (or veg stock if preferred)
- ½ cup (90g) whole wheat pearl couscous
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 8g), leaves only
- 1 tbsp Calabrian chili paste (or to taste)
- 4 cod fillets (approx. 480g total)
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes, fennel, garlic, and parsley. Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise through the root, then cut each half into wedges, keeping a bit of the root on each to help hold them together. Finely slice the garlic. Pick and chop the parsley leaves.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (High). Once hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and the fennel wedges in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches). Cook for a few minutes per side until deeply golden and starting to soften. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes, pearl couscous, chicken stock, and Calabrian chili paste. Stir well to combine, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pot.
- Cancel sauté mode. Secure the lid and set to Pressure Cook (High) for 2 minutes. When finished, do a quick release and carefully remove the lid.
- Switch the pot to Keep Warm. Nestle the cod fillets into the hot broth, skin side up if applicable, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the lid loosely on top (not sealed), and let the fish gently poach for 6–8 minutes, or until it flakes easily..
- Gently remove the cod onto a serving platter. Stir in the butter and chopped parsley, letting the butter melt into the broth. Taste and adjust for seasoning — it should be spicy, buttery, and sweet from the tomatoes.
- Spoon the couscous, broth, vegetables onto a serving platter around the fish fillets. Serve warm, with crusty bread if you like.