Day 2 of nine days- Moroccan fish and couscous

Rosh Chodesh by us is couscous night.  Its a minhag my mother got from her mother, and I would imagine her  mother got it from her mother and so on.  My mother was born in Morocco.  They didn't have instant Couscous like we have these days.  I still remember in the good old days watching my mother and her mother (and my fathers mother too for that matter) making couscous.  Steaming the grains in a double boiler, then breaking it up by hand by rubbing two clumps against each other, and then steaming it again!

Lucky these days all we have to do is add some boiling water, season and break apart with a fork.

Usually we serve the couscous with a large chicken and chunky veg soup, sometimes lamb chops, sometimes even ousoubuku (adar).  For Rosh Chodesh Av, I serve with Moroccan fish.  This time I minced the fish and made fish balls, but really the same sauce can be used for fish steaks as well.  

Moroccan Fish recipe

Ingredients:

30 grams tomato paste

3 cloves of garlic sliced into medium this slices

2 TBLS chopped fresh parsley

2 TBLS chopped fresh coriander

tumeric

white pepper

paprika

salt

cumin

warm water

egg

750 grams Hake fillets (or what ever fish you usually use for gefilte fish-otherwise get ready minced fish)

sliced veggies of your choice- I used potatoes, butternut and carrots

Method:

1.  In a wide shallow pot, place the tomato paste, 2 Tbls chopped parsley and 2 Tbls chopped corriander and garlic and half a cup of water.  Place on stove set to medium high.  Omce it starts to boil, add the sliced veggies and stir.

2.  In a bowl, place 2 cups hot water, 2 TBLS paprika, 1/2 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tsp cumin salt and pepper to taste. Mix and add to bubbling pot of veggies and stir.

3.  In a food precessor place the fish and mince.  Once minced add 1 egg, 2 dashes tumeric and 2 dashes paprika. blend again for a minute to mix all together.  

4.  Form balls from the fish mixture and place in the bubbling pot.  You'll have to move the veggies around to fit the balls, but in the end you'll find space for all the fish.

5.  Bring down cooking temp to low medium and allow to simmer for at least half an hour- or until the vegetables are soft.

Make couscous according to package instructions

enjoy!!