Author Notes
Although I am late to appreciating good, oil packed tuna, I am making up for it by having it as a weekly standby. Add a hearty squeeze of fragrant lemon, some pasta and voilà, a simple but satisfying meal that my family loves. Recently I decided to add some preserved lemon I’d made over the holidays and was wooed by how much they reminded me of olives, but oh-so-much brighter (ok, I’m late to the preserved lemon party too)! While the basics of oil packed tuna, lemon and pasta are near flawless, I decided to see what would happen if I added some earthy spice, bright herbs and citrus in the form of fresh orange and preserved lemon and was very pleased with the results. It makes for a lovely light supper or satisfying lunch. —gingerroot
Test Kitchen Notes
This tasty Isreali couscous salad is delicious and quicker than a flash to make! While the couscous is cooking, the rest of the recipe can be put together, so total time to prepare is about 20 minutes (not including cooling time). The layering of citrus flavors adds so much to the balance of the dish and the preserved lemon brightens the tuna (and entire dish) delightfully. I love spice with the best of them, however suggest cutting down the cayenne the first time you make it ...I tried the full teaspoon and it overwhelmed the dish a bit too much. As suggested, start with 1/2 teaspoon. This is one of my favorite new go-to lunch salads! —Victoria Ross
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Ingredients
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1 cup
loosely packed cilantro leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
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1 cup
loosely packed Italian parsley leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
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2 teaspoons
whole cumin seed
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1 teaspoon
whole coriander seed
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1/2-1 teaspoons
cayenne pepper (if you are not a fan of spice, start with 1/4 t or omit completely)
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1/3 cup
extra virgin olive oil
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1/2
juicy sweet orange
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1 250g (8.81 oz) can Ortiz Bonito white tuna
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2 cups
Israeli couscous
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2 1/2 cups
water
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kosher salt
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2-3 tablespoons
minced preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp and pith removed
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1 tablespoon
lemon juice
Directions
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Rough chop your herbs and place in a bowl.
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Toast cumin and coriander seed in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, tossing pan as you go to prevent burning. Transfer all whole spices to a mortar and pestle. Turn off heat but return skillet to burner. Carefully add olive oil to hot skillet (beware of sputtering).
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Crush whole spices into a powder. Transfer hot oil to a large serving bowl, followed by crushed spices and cayenne. Set bowl aside.
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Heat water and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and cover. When water is boiling, add Israeli couscous and cook for 8-10 minutes until tender and liquid is absorbed. Drain in a colander and shake to remove excess water.
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Open tuna and drain off most of the oil. Using a fork, add tuna to bowl with spiced oil.
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Cut orange in half and squeeze a quarter of the orange into tuna mixture, reserving remaining quarter.
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Fold couscous into bowl using a spatula. Follow with chopped herbs. Squeeze remaining quarter orange over salad and combine. Add preserved lemon and lemon juice and fold again.
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Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary, adding remaining T of preserved lemon if desired. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors meld. Allow salad to come to room temperature and mix before serving. Enjoy.
Note: Can be made one day ahead.
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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