Buttery tomatoes with caramelised fennel and cod

A delicate yet flavour-packed one-pot meal that brings together flaky cod, sweet roasted fennel, juicy cherry tomatoes, and brothy pearl couscous. Perfect for a fast, wholesome dinner with a gourmet twist.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Appliance: Instant Pot multicooker

Ingredients

• 500 g cherry or mixed tomatoes
• 1 large fennel bulb (or 2 small), cut into wedges
• 80 g unsalted butter
• 500 ml chicken, fish, or vegetable stock
• 90 g whole wheat pearl couscous (~½ cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 8 g fresh flat-leaf parsley (½ bunch), chopped
• 1 tbsp Calabrian chili paste (adjust to taste)
• 4 cod fillets (approx. 480 g total)
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation method

1. Prep your ingredients
Wash and prep the vegetables. Halve the fennel lengthwise and cut into wedges, keeping the root attached to help hold the pieces together. Wash the tomatoes, thinly slice the garlic, and chop the parsley.

2. Sauté the fennel
Select the Sauté (High) mode on your Instant Pot. Once hot, drizzle in a little olive oil and add the fennel wedges in a single layer. Sear for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden and caramelised. Season with salt and pepper. You may need to do this in batches.

3. Add the base
Add sliced garlic and stir briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the cherry tomatoes, pearl couscous, stock, and Calabrian chili paste. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom for extra flavour.

4. Pressure cook the couscous
Cancel sauté mode. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (High) for 2 minutes. Perform a quick release when finished and carefully remove the lid.

5. Poach the cod
Switch to Keep Warm mode. Nestle the cod fillets into the hot broth, skin-side up if applicable. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the lid loosely on top (do not seal), and let the cod gently poach for 6–8 minutes, or until flaky and opaque.

6. Finish the dish
Remove the cod and set it aside on a warm plate. Stir the butter and chopped parsley into the pot, letting the butter melt into the hot broth. Taste and adjust seasoning, it should be buttery, mildly spicy, and slightly sweet from the tomatoes.

7. Serve and enjoy
Spoon the couscous, fennel, and tomatoes onto a serving platter. Place the poached cod fillets on top and drizzle over the rich broth. Serve warm, optionally with crusty bread for dipping.

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