Name: Dried Salted Fish Stew with Legumes
Yield: 0
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 200 grams couscous; 100 grams dried broad beans; 50 grams chickpeas; 25 grams lentils (optional); 4 tablespoons oil; 4 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon harissa; 0.5 tablespoon cilantro; 0.5 tablespoon paprika; lemon (for serving); salt; water (for soaking, then 1 liter for cooking and 1.5 liters for the broth); 100 grams dried salted fish (wazf) (small dried and salted fish)

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02

Method

01
The dried salted fish (wazf) is cleaned and soaked for about two hours in cold water, then rinsed well to reduce its saltiness.
02
The broad beans are peeled and cleaned. The chickpeas and lentils are cleaned and washed. The legumes are soaked overnight in cold water and rinsed.
03
The legumes are placed in a pot with the peeled garlic cloves, cilantro, oil, and 1 liter of water. When boiling, the pot is covered, the heat is reduced, and it is cooked for about an hour, stirring and replacing the water as needed.
04
When the legumes are cooked, the tomato paste, harissa, paprika, and salt are added. Cooking continues for about a quarter of an hour.
05
One and a half liters of water are added, and the heat is increased. When boiling, the couscous is gradually poured while stirring, and it is cooked without a lid for about 20 minutes. After about five minutes, the rinsed dried salted fish (wazf) is added, to cook in the stew during the last quarter hour before serving.
06
The salt is adjusted, and the stew is served hot with lemon drops.

Notes

Wazf is a type of very small dried and salted fish. It is soaked and rinsed well to reduce its saltiness, so the salt is adjusted at the end of cooking. Source: Book «Oumek Snanfa» by Mohamed Kouki, p. 33, 34. The steps have been rephrased for clarification.