Tunisian Mechouia-Style Pearl Couscous Salad with Harissa Tuna

Name: Tunisian Mechouia-Style Pearl Couscous Salad with Harissa Tuna
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 1½ cups (260 g) pearl (Israeli) couscous, dry, straight from the box; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups (480 ml) water, brought to a boil; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 3 medium (600 g) red bell peppers, whole, washed and dried; 1 large (100 g) long green pepper (Anaheim or Italian frying pepper), whole, washed and dried; 4 medium (400 g) plum tomatoes, whole, washed and dried; 4 large cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, unpeeled; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (30 g) harissa paste; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp (2 g) ground caraway; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin; 1 small (80 g) small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced; ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 10 oz (284 g) oil-packed tuna, in two 5-oz (142 g) cans, drained well; 1 tbsp (15 g) harissa paste; 2 tbsp (17 g) capers, drained, rinsed if salt-packed, and roughly chopped; ½ cup (75 g) pitted green or black olives, halved; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, chopped; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh mint, leaves, finely chopped; 4 large (200 g) large eggs, cold from the fridge; 1 small (60 g) lemon, cut into 4 wedges

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Toasted pearl couscous is tossed with broiler-charred peppers, tomatoes and garlic in a smoky harissa-caraway dressing, then topped with spicy flaked tuna, capers, olives and jammy-firm eggs. It's inspired by Tunisian mechouia salad and works as a make-ahead main.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Makes: About 8 cups (4 main-course servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the couscous
1½ cups (260 g) pearl (Israeli) couscous, dry, straight from the box
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (480 ml) water, brought to a boil
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
For the charred vegetables
3 medium (600 g) red bell peppers, whole, washed and dried
1 large (100 g) long green pepper (Anaheim or Italian frying pepper), whole, washed and dried
4 medium (400 g) plum tomatoes, whole, washed and dried
4 large cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
For the dressing
2 tbsp (30 g) harissa paste
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp (2 g) ground caraway
½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin
1 small (80 g) small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the harissa tuna and topping
10 oz (284 g) oil-packed tuna, in two 5-oz (142 g) cans, drained well
1 tbsp (15 g) harissa paste
2 tbsp (17 g) capers, drained, rinsed if salt-packed, and roughly chopped
½ cup (75 g) pitted green or black olives, halved
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, chopped
2 tbsp (6 g) fresh mint, leaves, finely chopped
4 large (200 g) large eggs, cold from the fridge
1 small (60 g) lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Equipment (7)

Rimmed baking sheet, 18×13-inch (46×33 cm), lined with foil
Large heatproof bowl with a plate or lid for steaming peppers
Medium saucepan with lid, 3-quart (3 L)
Small saucepan for eggs
Large mixing bowl
Rimmed baking sheet or large platter for cooling couscous
Tongs and a fine-mesh sieve

Steps

Before you start

Position an oven rack 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) below the broiler element and clear everything above it.
Harissa brands vary a lot in heat and saltiness. Taste yours first and start with the lower amounts if it is very hot or salty.
Read the timing: the vegetables broil about 25 minutes. Boil the eggs and cook the couscous while they steam and cool.
Drain the tuna and capers well so the salad doesn't turn greasy or watery.

1
Prep the broilerOven 500°F / 260°C
- Set an oven rack 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler on high (about 500°F / 260°C).
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Put the red peppers, green pepper, tomatoes and unpeeled garlic on the sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and roll everything to coat lightly.
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Ready when: Broiler element is glowing red and the vegetables are in a single layer.
Tip: Don't use a glass dish under the broiler, because it can shatter.
2
Char the vegetablesOven 500°F / 260°C
- Broil the vegetables, turning the peppers with tongs every 6–7 minutes, until the skins are blistered and blackened in large patches, 20–25 minutes total.
- Pull out the garlic after about 10 minutes and the tomatoes after 12–15 minutes, when their skins are split and charred and they have collapsed slightly.
- Leave the peppers in until blackened all over.
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Ready when: Pepper skins are mostly black and blistered, flesh is soft and collapsing, garlic is soft when squeezed.
Tip: Char is flavor here, so don't pull the peppers early. The blackened skin gets peeled off.
3
Steam the peppers
- Transfer all the peppers to a large heatproof bowl and cover tightly with a plate or lid.
- Let them steam for 15 minutes so the skins loosen.
- Leave the tomatoes and garlic on the sheet to cool.
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Ready when: The peppers are cool enough to handle and the skin slips off easily.
4
Boil the eggs
- While the peppers steam, cover the eggs with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of cold water in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Drain and cool in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.
- Peel and cut each egg in half.
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Ready when: Yolks are fully set and pale yellow with no wet center.
Tip: Start timing once the water is simmering gently, not when you turn on the heat.
5
Toast the couscous
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 3-quart (3 L) saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the pearl couscous and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until most pearls are golden brown and smell nutty.
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Ready when: Pearls are speckled golden to amber brown and smell like toasted nuts.
Tip: Keep stirring, because the pearls scorch quickly once they start to color.
6
Simmer the couscous
- Carefully pour in the 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water and add ½ tsp fine sea salt.
- Stir once, bring back to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook 10–12 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
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Ready when: Pearls are plump and tender with a slight chew and no water pooling in the pan.
Tip: If the pearls are still hard but the pan is dry, add 2 tbsp water, cover and cook 2 more minutes.
7
Cool the couscous
- Spread the hot couscous on a rimmed baking sheet or large platter in an even layer.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes, fluffing once or twice with a fork, so the pearls stay separate.
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Ready when: Couscous is room temperature or just barely warm to the touch.
8
Peel and chop vegetables
- Peel the skins off the peppers and discard them along with the stems and seeds.
- Don't rinse them, because rinsing washes away the smoky flavor.
- Chop the peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Peel the tomatoes if the skins slip off easily, then chop them, keeping all the juices.
- Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skins and mash it to a paste with a fork.
- Combine everything in a large bowl.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in ½-inch pieces and the garlic is blended in with the juices.
Tip: Wear gloves for the green pepper if it is a hot variety.
9
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tbsp harissa, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, caraway, cumin and ¾ tsp kosher salt.
- Stir in the sliced red onion and let it sit for 10 minutes while you finish the tuna, so the onion softens and mellows.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, brick-red and glossy.
10
Dress the tuna
- Put the well-drained tuna in a medium bowl and break it into large flakes with a fork.
- Gently fold in 1 tbsp harissa until the tuna is evenly coated, keeping some chunky pieces.
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Ready when: Tuna is evenly red-orange with visible chunks.
Tip: Don't mash the tuna, because large flakes keep the salad from turning pasty.
11
Combine the salad
- Add the cooled couscous, the dressing with the onion, capers, olives, parsley and mint to the bowl of chopped vegetables.
- Toss gently until every pearl is coated.
- Season with black pepper, and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Couscous is evenly tinted red, glossy and moist but not soupy.
Tip: If it seems dry after resting, loosen it with 1 tbsp olive oil or a squeeze of lemon.
12
Top and serve
- Mound the salad on a platter or in four shallow bowls.
- Top with the harissa tuna and the halved eggs.
- Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Good to know

Tips

Don't rinse the peeled peppers. The charred juices are the smoky backbone of the dish.
Let the couscous cool completely before dressing it. Hot pearls absorb the dressing unevenly and wilt the herbs.
Taste for balance before serving. A bit more lemon brightens the salad, and a bit more harissa adds heat.
Drain the tuna very well and fold it in gently so the salad doesn't turn greasy.

Make ahead

"Make the salad through step 11 (without the eggs and tuna topping) up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate covered. Bring it to room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then loosen it with a splash of olive oil and lemon juice. Hard-boil the eggs up to 2 days ahead and keep them unpeeled in the fridge. Mix the harissa tuna the day you serve."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store the salad, tuna and eggs in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the vegetables turn watery and the eggs turn rubbery. Serve cold or at room temperature, and don't reheat."

Substitutions

pearl (Israeli) couscous → Fregola sarda or small pasta such as orzo. Fregola is the closest in chew. Orzo needs only 8–9 minutes of boiling in plenty of salted water, then drain.
harissa paste → 1 tbsp tomato paste plus 1 tsp hot paprika and ¼ tsp cayenne. Use this if you have no harissa. The flavor is less complex, so add an extra pinch of cumin.
oil-packed tuna, in two 5-oz (142 g) cans → Canned sardines or mackerel in olive oil, or drained chickpeas. Use 10 oz (284 g) of fish, or 1½ cups (250 g) of chickpeas for a vegetarian version.
red bell peppers → Jarred roasted red peppers, drained. Use about 1½ cups (270 g) chopped. You will lose some of the smoky char, so add ¼ tsp smoked paprika to the dressing.