Harissa tuna balls and couscous
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4
These spicy harissa tuna balls are simmered in a rich tomato sauce with courgettes and served with wholewheat couscous. Ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz mixed dried fruit and nuts
- 30g/1oz mint
- 1 lemon
- 600g/1lb 5oz fresh tuna steak
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 250g/9oz wholewheat couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 700ml/1¼ pints passata
- 2 courgettes, about 320g
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Boil the kettle.
Put the dried fruit and nuts in a food processor. Pick the mint leaves and set them aside, then add the stalks to the processor. Finely grate in the lemon zest and pulse until finely chopped.
Chop the tuna and add it to the processor with 1 tablespoon of the harissa and a little salt and pepper. Pulse until just combined.
Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to just cover it. Cover the bowl and leave to rehydrate.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium–high heat. With clean, wet hands, divide the tuna mixture into 12 pieces and roll into balls.
Add the olive oil and tuna balls to the pan. Cook until dark and golden on the outside.
Add the garlic, cinnamon and most of the mint leaves. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the passata and add the remaining harissa. Simmer for 8 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Use a speed peeler to shave the courgettes into thin rounds directly over the tuna balls. Squeeze over the juice of half the lemon, cover and cook for a further 3 minutes, or until the tuna balls are cooked through and the courgettes are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Serve with the harissa tuna balls and sauce, then scatter over the remaining mint leaves. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and serve alongside.
