TUNISIAN GRILLED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH COUSCOUS

Tunisian Grilled Peppers and Tomatoes with Couscous image

This spicy, juicy meal, perfect for the summer, is one of a variety of Tunisian grilled salads. The couscous can be served warm or at room temperature. This makes a heavenly summer meal. Reconstitute some couscous and top with this spicy, juicy mix of grilled pepper and tomato salad. You can serve the couscous warm or at room temperature. The pepper salad is typical of Tunisian grilled salads (mechwya), of which there are many versions (eggplant can be included in the mix). In Tunisia, a spice mix called tabil would be used to season the peppers. I keep the mix on hand, without the dried garlic, but here I've given you a mix of spices to use. You can substitute tabil if you have some; the mix will be a little hotter because there is cayenne in the tabil.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories main course

Time 45m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

Previous Next

Ingredients

3 large bell peppers, preferably a mix of red, yellow and green or yellow, orange and red (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 green Anaheim peppers
1 pound ripe but firm tomatoes
1 or 2 garlic cloves, to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 to 1 1/2 cups couscous, reconstituted (3 to 4 1/2 cups reconstituted couscous)
Imported black olives for garnish

Steps:

Grill peppers over a hot grill or a gas flame, or under a broiler, until charred. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or with plastic. Allow to cool.
Grill tomatoes over a hot grill or under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until skins split and char. If tomatoes are large, turn over and grill on the other side. Small tomatoes needn't be turned. You do not want to cook them until they're overly soft. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and allow to cool until you can handle them.
When peppers are cool enough, stem and peel. Holding them over the bowl to catch juices, seed and cut in 2-inch long strips. Transfer to another bowl and strain in juices. Peel, core and slice tomatoes. Cut slices into strips and transfer, with juices, to bowl with peppers.
In a mortar and pestle, purée garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Add caraway, coriander and cayenne if using. Work in the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with vegetables. Add half the parsley and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Warm couscous if desired and divide among plates or wide bowls. Spoon on pepper and tomato salad with juices in bowl. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 249, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 41 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 479 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams