A lovely late-summer picnic or a perfect light supper
Looking for something a little different to brighten your August evenings? Here’s a fantastic couscous salad that brings together four of Tunisia’s tastiest and most popular ingredients. And, I’ll add, you can make the whole thing in under 20 minutes! It’s equally excellent with mayonnaise or with an olive oil dressing—go with whichever you prefer.
The key to the salad is, of course—as I say every time I share a dish I like—that you use the most flavorful of ingredients. In this case, it’s easy: the marvelous Mahjoub family in Tunisia does all the hard work! They’re the people who produce the magically flavorful raw materials that make it so simple for folks like us to craft a world-class dish like this one in a matter of minutes.
Start with the Mahjoubs’ M’hamsa couscous. It’s made from organic wheat that they grow on their farm about 45 minutes west of Tunis. They mill the grain and hand-roll it, using traditional methods, into the round shape we know as couscous. Then they sun-dry the freshly made couscous, which enhances the flavor further. It takes 12 minutes, covered.
When the couscous is done, drain off the remaining liquid left in the pan, if there is any. Pour the couscous into a mixing bowl and dress with a bit of extra virgin olive oil—the Mahjoubs’ organic oil is outstanding, and it’s the one I use at home year-round. For the preserved lemon, again, the Mahjoubs make it easy—they do six months of natural curing in brine. Remove one of the preserved lemons and cut it into half-inch chunks. Add some chopped roasted red pepper and some chopped parsley. Next, toss in some top-quality tuna from Ortiz or Fishwife.
Finally, add some of the Mahjoubs’ traditional Tunisian harissa—which, again, is made with ingredients grown organically on their farm: sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and spices. You can vary the amount based on how much spice you like. Mix gently, add some more olive oil and preserved lemon brine if you’d like a dressing, and check for salt and pepper. It’s ready to eat now, but if you let it sit for about a half hour, the flavor only gets better.
If you’re more of a mayonnaise fan, simply add a few spoonfuls and stir to get the texture you prefer, and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
