'Hmiss': roasted peppers and tomatoes salad حميس

Another very popular summer dish in north Africa (I can have it for lunch any day of the week). Also known as, ‘Chlita’, ‘Slata Mechouia’ (Roasted salad) or ‘Slata Tounssia’ (Tunisian salad), it is a common side dish with kebab shops in Algeria. If you omit adding the lemon juice, you can keep it for few day in the fridge and use it to make more interesting sandwiches.

I like to keep it plain but I know that Tunisians like to decorate it with tuna chunks, olives, boiled eggs and capers. They also use it in a kind of Brucheta dish called ‘Slata Blanquette’, where it is served on slices of stale French baguette previously dipped in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and harissa paste.

Ingredients:
3 sweet peppers
2 beef tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Lemon juice

Steps:

1.      Clean the vegetables, wipe them

2.      put them in one layer on an oiled baking tray, brush them with olive oil

3.      Cook in a preheated oven for 30 minutes

4.      Keep turning until they soften and the skin starts to make dark blisters (see pictures)

5.      Put in plastic bag and leave to cool down, the steam will help with peeling them later on

6.      Peel off the skins, and get rid of all the seeds from the peppers. Cut the tomatoes in halves and squeeze them to remove the seeds as well

7.      Dice the tomatoes and peppers as small as you can, season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour more olive oil on top when serving

Other variations:

·         Add one aubergine and or 3 gloves of garlic

·         Add 1 hot chilly

·         Use as a dip by blending the mixture in a food processor

·         Use green peppers or a mixture of colours