A French Twist in the Medina: Pan Tunisienne Lunch Pail

Pain

• 1 or 2 Italian loaves or the equivalent in ciabatta etc., but sturdy enough to handle olive oil, depending on shape
• 1 10 ounce (200 gm) can of oil packed tuna (As Do Mar, or Ortiz “conserva” are highly preferred)
• 1 Preserved lemon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt packed capers, rinsed in cold water
• 1/2 cup Moroccan style oil cured olives, pitted
• 2 Anchovy fillets (optional)*
• Harissa to your own tolerance
• Extra virgin olive oil (arbequina is our favorite for this)
• fleur de sel (or other sea salt)
• *Note to cook regarding anchovies; the flat tins from Morocco are terrible. Read the label for country of origin. You are better off using the flat jarred ones OR if you go through a lot of anchovies, the big tinned type packed in salt. A little more work

Couscous tabbouleh

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup very fresh mint
• 1 cup dry couscous
• 1/2 cup (approximately) cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup (approximate) extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt (as in fleur de sel)
• 1 Joey Ramone action figure to rock your casbah (optional)

1. Pit the olives, drain the capers. Place in a food processor bowl along with anchovies (if you are using). Give this a quick couple of pulses. The texture should be coarse---esssentially it's a minimalist olive salad.
2. Split your bread, which ever type you are using, on the horizon. Lay the halves out on a sheet of plastic wrap. On one cut side drizzle some olive oil. On the other half side smear some harissa.
3. Build the sandwich. Spoon out some of your olive/caper mixture onto the oil half of the bread. Open the can of tuna, don't cut yourself, and spread over the oiled half.
4. Depending on the size of your preserved lemon you may need only 1/2 or 1/4 of the whole. You decide. Distribute chopped lemon. I'm not holding your hand on this step.
5. Give it a grind of pepper and a little more salt (it won't need much). Close up the sandwich, wrap tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the couscous.
6. Wash and dry the parsley and mint. Chop them together. Meanwhile (the "meanwhile" step) cook the couscous according to package instructions---time varies according to size and shape.
7. Drain the cooked couscous. Add shallot, tomatoes and the parsley-mint mixture. Add some olive oil. Use your clean hands to work this all together. Add salt to taste.
8. For the lunch pail, unwrap the pan tunisienne and cut in half (or quarter depending on size of loaf). Wrap that up in parchment, tape closed in neccessary. Stick it in the lunch pail. In a separate container portion out the tabbouleh.
9. Optional but good, slice up some melon. Wrap and add to the pail.