Grilled halibut is topped with fresh chermoula and served over a bed of Moroccan-spiced couscous with yellow squash and red pepper.
This was the situation: it was late evening on a beautiful summer day. We were sitting on the deck of a little restaurant perched on the corner of a grassy airfield. The kids were playing corn hole and a giant version of Connect 4 while we sipped delicious IPAs. It was a perfect nigh on Martha’s Vineyard at the Right Fork Diner. It was our first time having dinner there (it’s breakfast is not-to-be-missed!). I ordered the halibut – my all-time favorite fish. It had Moroccan seasoning, some chermoula mixed in. It was delicious so I decided then and there that I’d make it at home.
Halibut is firm enough to grill directly on the grill grates, so it gets great flavor. We do it on a charcoal grill for even more of that fresh-grilled taste. You could easily do the fish in a pan if you don’t want to grill it. The rest of the dish is pretty simple: the chermoula is a simple blend of fresh herbs with some lemon and olive oil. The couscous and vegetables can be made in a single pan. And the result? Simply stunning. The only thing that would have made it better is if I were back on that little deck on the Vineyard instead of in my won backyard… Maybe next summer.
And if fish isn’t your thing, you could easily put grilled chicken on the couscous for a killer dinner. Lucky for me, my girls love grilled halibut too so it was an easy night for me! (They also love cod and branzino!)
- 1¼ pounds halibut filet, preferably a thicker cut
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 handful cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- leaves from 4 sprigs of parsley
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup dry pearled couscous
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1½ tsp. Ras el hanout
- 2 tsp. lemon juice, or more to taste
- Cut fish into 4 individual pieces. Season fish with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over it to coat. Heat a grill to high heat.
- To make the chermoula, combine the garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping the sides as you go. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Season to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.
- Cook couscous according to package instructions. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the squash and red pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until squash starts to soften. Stir in the ras el hanout and season with salt. Cook for another minute, then reduce heat to low stir in the cooked couscous. When couscous has heated through, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
- While you're making the couscous, cook the halibut on the grill for 4-5 minutes per side, until the center is just opaque. Thinner cuts will cook a little faster.
- To serve, divide the couscous mixture among 4 plates. Top each with a piece of the fish and then drizzle some chermoula over the top. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges if desired.
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