Peppers, Onions, Garlic Cloves and Tomatoes Cooked in the Embers

    This is my favorite way of preparing the famous Tunisian grilled vegetable salad, mechouia. Actually, the best way is not to grill the vegetables but to completely bury them in live embers, a process that cooks them evenly while imbuing them with a wonderful smokey taste. The scorched vegetables, whether grilled on the burner or cooked in embers, are then peeled and crushed one by one (heaviest first) in a mortar until pureed but still retaining some semblance of texture. If you use a food processor, please pulse the mixture.

1. Start a wood and charcoal fire and allow the coals to turn white before cooking. You will need a supply of coals to keep a steady heat for about half an hour.

2. Do not peel the onions or garlic. Do not stem the peppers or tomatoes. Bury all the vegetables in the coals. Remove the vegetables as they become soft. Cool and peel the garlic, onion, pepper and tomato. Discard all seeds. If tomatoes are excessively watery, drain in a sieve. Starting with the onions and garlic, crush the vegetables in a wide mortar or pulse in the work bowl of a food processor to achieve a chunky texture, then add the peppers and tomatoes. Scrape mixture into a bowl, whip in the olive oil to loosen, adjust the seasoning with spices, salt , and pepper and serve warm with a Tunisian tagine.

For more Tunisian recipes see:
 Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Cooking, revised edition and Mediterranean Grains and Greens