Salade Michwiya (Grilled Salad)

This is a traditional Tunisian recipe for a classic salad of a pureed blend of grilled vegetables served topped with olives, tuna flakes and hard-boiled eggs.

Ingredients:

500g tomatoes

500g bell peppers

4 eggs, boiled until hard, peeled and quartered

3 garlic cloves

100g hot chillies

1 onion, peeled

1 small tin of tuna

100g olives, pitted

1/2 tsp caraway seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

 Peel the garlic cloves then crush on a chopping board with the caraway seeds and coarse sea salt. Drain the tuna, turn into a bowl and flake.

Place the onion, bell peppers and chillies on a baking tray. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until slightly blackened on the outside (turn the vegetables several times during the cooking process so they cook evenly). Remove from the oven then transfer to a plastic bag to sweat for 10 minutes.

Remove from the bag and peel them then remove any stems and seeds. Turn the bell peppers, onion and chillies into a blender and process until smooth.

Turn the vegetable purée into a bowl and stir in the crushed garlic mixture. Pour this mixture onto a serving plate and sprinkle over the oil and lemon juice.

Garnish with the olives, tuna flakes and hard-boiled egg quarters then serve.