Tuna Ratatouille Morocco Food

GRILLED TUNA WITH GRILLED RATATOUILLE COUSCOUS AND DECONSTRUCTED PESTO

Steps:

• Toast 1/2 cup of the couscous in a dry skillet over medium heat. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil, stir in the toasted and untoasted couscous and some salt, cover, and simmer until the couscous is cooked and the stock absorbed, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
• Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red onion with canola oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until both sides are charred and the vegetables tender. Remove, cool slightly, and cut into large chunks.
• Toss the tomatoes with canola oil, season with salt and pepper and grill in the grill basket until they are just lightly charred.
• Brush the tuna steaks with canola oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until golden-brown and medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side.
• Put the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Add the couscous, basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and gently toss.
• Slice the tuna into thick slices. Mound the couscous on a platter, arrange the tuna on top and drizzle with additional olive oil. Garnish with whole basil leaves.

MOROCCAN-SPICED TUNA

Steps:

• Put the coriander, garlic, spices and lemon juice into a blender and blitz to a purée. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until you get a smooth, thick sauce. Set aside.
• Sit the tuna steaks in a non-metallic dish and cover with two-thirds of the sauce. Cover with cling film, then leave to marinate in the fridge for about 20 mins (or for up to 4hrs).
• Heat a griddle pan or grill. Shake off any excess marinade, season the tuna steaks, then cook for 2-4 mins, depending on thickness for medium rare, turning once (cook 2 mins more for well done). Drizzle over the remaining sauce paste to finish. Try serving with new potatoes; for a Moroccan twist, toss melted butter, harissa spice mix and chopped coriander leaves through the potatoes.

RATATOUILLE SANDWICH

Steps:

• For the ratatouille: Fit a baking sheet with a rack. Line an 8 1/2-by-4-inch loaf pan with a sheet of aluminum foil that is as wide as the pan and about 12 inches long, making a cradle for easier removal of the ratatouille loaf.
• Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1-inch-thick planks. Slice each plank lengthwise in half again. Put the eggplant, zucchini and squash on the rack in a single layer. Generously salt both sides of the vegetables and let sit for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To a small bowl, add the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt and cracked black pepper to taste and whisk until blended.
• Assemble the vegetables in layers of each type in the loaf pan with the skins facing towards the walls of the pan: yellow squash, red pepper, eggplant, onion and zucchini, brushing each layer with the herb-oil mixture and sprinkling with 1 teaspoon of cheese. Press firmly to form a tight loaf while layering. Repeat until the vegetables reach about 1/2 inch from the top of the loaf pan. Top with the tomato rounds and sprinkle with the remainder of the Parmesan and some salt.
• Put the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake uncovered until the vegetables are very soft and the tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to serve, toss the arugula with a little (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) of the Champagne Vinaigrette to lightly dress. Remove the ratatouille from the pan by pulling it up with the ends of the foil cradle. Slice the ratatouille crosswise into 4 even pieces.
• For the sandwich build: Split the rolls in half lengthwise, brush both sides with butter, toast on a griddle and rub with the cut side of the garlic. Spread some of the butter on the cut side of the rolls and sprinkle with the flaky salt. Add a slice of the ratatouille and top with the arugula. Cut each sandwich in half on the bias.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, parsley, mustard, oregano, sugar, thyme and garlic. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and you're ready to rock.

NEXT LEVEL RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Lay the pepper quarters skin-side up on a baking tray and grill until the skins are black and charred. Tip into a bowl, cover and leave to cool. Peel the charred skin off the peppers, then cut into strips, and toss back in the juices collected in the bowl. Tie the basil stalks and thyme sprig together using kitchen string and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish and fry the courgettes and aubergine for 15 mins until nicely browned. You may need to do this in batches, adding more oil to the pan as needed so the pan is never dry.
• Scoop the veg out of the pan and set aside. Add a drizzle more oil, tip in the onion and cook for another 15 mins until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and leave to sizzle for a moment. Scatter with sugar, then leave for a minute to caramelise and splash in the vinegar. Stir in the cooked vegetables along with the pepper juice, season generously, pour over the cans of tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer.
• Nestle in the herbs, cover the dish and transfer to the oven for 1 hr. Remove the lid and give it another 30 mins until everything is cooked down and jammy. Leave the ratatouille to cool until just warm, then stir through most of the basil leaves and the extra virgin olive oil. Scatter with the rest of the basil and serve with griddled sourdough.

TUNA RATATOUILLE - MOROCCO

Steps:

• Clean all the vegetables.
• Slip the tomatoes in boiling water to take their peels off, then deseed them.
• Cut the other vegetables into uniform sizes.
• Cut the tuna into cubes.
• In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbs oil and brown the peppers in this. Cook it over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring.
• Add the eggplant with 2 tbs oil, and continue to cook it all for 10 minutes, stirring.
• Add the zucchini with the thyme and oregano, plus the rest of the oil.
• Let this simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, the minced little hot pepper, the garlic and the tuna.
• Blend gently with a long wooden spoon.
• Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of water if it becomes necessary to add liquid.
• Serve hot, warm or cold.