Tunisian Slata Mechouia

Tunisian Slata Mechouia

“Mechouia” means grilled: peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic are charred, peeled and chopped by hand to a coarse texture. Tuna, egg and olives aren’t just garnish; they turn the salad into a generous starter.

Prep time: 25 minutes · Roasting time: 35 minutes · Yield: 6 servings · Difficulty: Easy

Chop, don’t grind

A food processor turns the vegetables into a watery spread. A knife or a vegetable masher leaves small pieces and a smoky texture. Let the peeled vegetables drain before chopping.

Ingredients (for 6 servings)

• 8 sweet green or red peppers
• 2 hot green peppers, to taste
• 5 tomatoes and 1 onion, halved
• 1 small head of garlic, halved
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon caraway, salt and pepper
• Juice of one lemon
• 300 g tuna in water, drained weight
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 100 g black or green olives

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

A light green, elongated pepper gives a characteristic Tunisian flavor, but Israeli bell peppers are easy to find and sweeter. To roast without a grill, use a very hot oven. Tuna in oil raises the calories depending on how much oil remains.

Method

1. Roast the vegetables. Heat the oven to 240°C (464°F) or a grill. Arrange the peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic and roast 25–35 minutes, turning the peppers, until charred and soft.
2. Steam and peel. Cover the peppers in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel and seed them. Peel the tomatoes and garlic. Don’t rinse — water washes away flavor.
3. Drain and chop. Set in a colander for 10 minutes, then chop everything by hand to a coarse texture.
4. Season. Mix with four tablespoons of the oil, the spices and lemon. Chill at least 20 minutes.
5. Serve. Arrange the tuna, eggs and olives on top and drizzle with two tablespoons of oil. Keep refrigerated, and don’t leave the tuna and egg out for more than two hours.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The estimate includes 1 tablespoon of oil, 50 g of tuna and two-thirds of an egg per person. Without the toppings, the vegetable salad is about 185 calories per serving.

Variations and tips

• For a mild salad, leave out the hot pepper and serve harissa on the side.
• Make the vegetable base a day ahead; add the tuna and egg when serving.
• Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge in a closed container.

Summary

Slata mechouia gets its character from real charring and coarse chopping, not long cooking. A serving with tuna and egg is about 340 calories. It goes well alongside fish couscous or as an extra filling for fricassé.