Sicilian seafood and cous cous soup

Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl, drizzle the oil on top; use hands to mix through.

Bring water to simmer and pour over couscous. Using a fork, mix together being sure to fork out any lumps. Cover tightly with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes. Remove cling film and once again fork the couscous to separate the grains.

Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot over a low heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the onion and allow too cook until transparent. Increase temperature to high and add the vongole, mussels and half of the white wine. Cover with tight fitting lid and allow to cook for approx 3 minutes or until opened. Once the mussels and vongole have opened remove and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium and add the carrots, celery, fennel and anchovies. Cook until the vegetables are soft; add saffron and deglaze with remaining white wine. Cook out the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, orange peel, bay leaves and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the octopus and calamari and cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir in fish stock and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a low and simmer 30 minutes. Once the flavours have combined and developed, turn off heat.

Stir in the prawns, swordfish, snapper, cooked mussels and vongole, chopped parsley, fennel tops and rubbed oregano. Allow too steep for several minutes then add the cooked couscous. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.