Tunisian Méchouia Salad with Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes

La storia di questo piatto

Méchouia is a Tunisian salad of the long summer, a dish of the Maghreb born from fire and sun, with a variant tied to the island of Djerba. No one has pinned its birth to a year, and it asks for no ancient legend: it simply belongs to the Tunisian table.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Long green peppers (or fleshy yellow and red peppers)
• 400 g Ripe, firm tomatoes
• 2 piece Fresh hot green chilies
• 2 clove Garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds (or cumin)
• 5 g Fine salt
• 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley
• 160 g Tuna in oil, drained
• 2 piece Hard-boiled eggs
• 50 g Black olives

Preparazione

1. Place the eggs in a small pot of cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 9-10 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water and set aside in their shells: peel them only just before serving. Meanwhile, wash the peppers, tomatoes and chilies and dry them thoroughly: the skin must be completely dry, otherwise it steams instead of charring. Turn on the high gas flame (or heat the grill to 250°C or prepare the embers) and place the peppers and chilies directly over the fire. Turn them with tongs every 2-3 minutes, until the skin is black and blistered on all sides and the flesh beneath is soft. That black char is what gives the smoky aroma, so don't be afraid to char them well.
2. Roast the tomatoes the same way, but more gently and over medium heat. Turn them until the skin cracks, curls and blackens in patches, about 5-6 minutes. They should soften without falling apart, or they will lose all their juice. As they are ready, place them in the bowl with the still-hot peppers and cover it tightly with a plate or plastic wrap.
3. Let the sealed vegetables rest for 15 minutes: the trapped steam loosens the skin from the flesh and saves you a lot of effort. Then peel everything with your fingers, helped by the tip of a knife, and do not rinse under water, as that would wash away the smoky flavor. Open the peppers and chilies, removing stems and seeds. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and let the flesh drain in a sieve over a small bowl for 10 minutes. Collect the juice that drips through and strain it: you will use 3 tablespoons (about 45 ml) for dressing, as it is full of smoky tomato flavor. Discard the rest of the juice and the watery liquid left in the large bowl: excess water would make the salad watery.
4. Toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 30-40 seconds, until fragrant and just beginning to jump: as soon as you smell the aroma, remove them immediately, as they burn in an instant. Crush them in a mortar with the garlic and half the salt (2.5 g) until you have a coarse paste. Then finely chop the peppers, chilies and tomatoes with a knife, roughly: you should still be able to recognize the pieces, so no blender, which would give you a soulless cream.
5. Gather the chopped vegetables in a bowl and add the garlic and caraway paste, 30 ml of oil, the lemon juice, the chopped parsley and the 3 tablespoons (about 45 ml) of strained juice set aside. Mix gently and taste: the salad should be flavorful, with a note of acidity that awakens the smoke. If needed, adjust with the remaining salt (2.5 g), a pinch at a time, and a few drops of lemon. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes: the flavors meld and the garlic loses its harshness. The eggs remain in their shells for now.
6. Take the salad out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving, because when it is refrigerator-cold the aromas stay dormant. Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them into wedges. Spread the salad on a deep plate and finish with a drizzle of 20 ml of oil in a raw spiral. Add the tuna in chunks, the egg wedges and the olives: the contrast between the smoky softness and the creaminess of the egg is the joy of this dish. Serve with warm bread torn into pieces, to scoop up every drop, and taste once more before serving.