Bruschetta Mechouia
Grilled veggies, tuna and olives dressed with lemon oil on crostinis.
bruschetta mechouia (Tunisian appetizer)
A very popular first-course dish from Tunisia, a little country in North Africa that appreciates spiciness somewhat more than its Moroccan neighbors. The salad from which this appetizer is created is called Salata Mechouia which means grilled salad.
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 little red chilies, thin narrow variety
1 anaheim chile pepper
2 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Juice of ½ lemon 1 tsp. tabil spice mix (3 tab. coriander seeds, 1 ½ tab. cumin seeds, 1 tab.
caraway seeds, ½ tab. red pepper flakes –
combine in food processor or spice grinder)
1 fresh tuna steak 1 tab. lemon zest 1 tab. tabil
One dozen Nicoise olives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (about 24 rounds) olive oil for brushing crostinis
-Seed bell peppers and place on cookie sheet along with onion quarters under broiler for about 15 minutes, turning as each side becomes charred, roughly 5 minutes on each side. Ten minutes into the bell pepper broiling time, add the tomatoes to the pan cookie sheet. 15 minutes into the broiling, add the chilies and garlic cloves to the sheet.
-Remove vegetables from the pan once they are blackened
and place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap.
-Next, carefully peel any charred skin off the tomatoes, bell peppers and chilies. Once peeled, and cooled enough to handle, place on a cutting board and roughly chop to a chunky-puree consistency. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, 1 tab. olive oil, lemon juice and tabil. Place in serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil all over the surface so that there is a thin film of oil atop the mechouia. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.
-Rub the tuna steak with spice mixture of 1 tab. tabil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Place 1 tab. oil in heavy frying pan and heat to high. Add tuna steak and sear on one side for 1 minute. Turn steak and turn the heat to medium and sear on other side for 1 minute. Set aside for 5 minutes. Slice thinly.
-Grease a large sheet pan generously with olive oil. Place
the bread rounds in a single layer on the sheet and brush
the top of each with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with garlic
powder. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and crunchy.
Let crostinis cool.
-Top each crostini with a round spoonful of the pepper
tomato mixture. Top with a small portion of tuna. Place
sliced olives around the edges and garnish with paprika
and parsley. Place on a serving tray and drizzle each
crostini with olive oil.
-Makes about 24 bruschettas.
Place cut veggies on cooking sheet pan.
Roasted veggies should be blackened under broiler.
Serve bruschetta chilled or at room temperature.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**The directions given in the recipe for charring the peppers, is a great way to peel peppers. Follow these directions whenever a recipe you're preparing calls for peeling peppers.
**If you prefer making a salad (Salata Mechouia) follow the same directions. Cook 2 eggs to hard boil, cool in pan of cold water and peel. Cut the eggs into 6 slivers. Line a salad bowl with romaine lettuce and place pepper/tomato mixture in the center. Place the egg slivers and olives around the edges of the salad and garnish with roughy chopped parsley.
Arrange the tuna steak slices on top of the center of the salad and drizzle oil over the entire salad then sprinkle with paprika. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty French bread. (The most common bread of Tunisia is French baguettes due to it being a French colony for many years. We never saw pita bread or American bread during our time in Tunis.) Check my post for “Salata Mechouia” on this blog for more directions.
