Amy Scattergood's Harissa

In the last week, I have eaten harissa with

boiled potatoes
stewed beans
scrambled eggs and a 3-minute egg
pasta (I know, I know)
and
sardines on toast.

Yes, it's true. Apparently, harissa is something that goes well with everything.

I had no idea. I really didn't. Would you know that harissa used to be something I looked at sideways, with suspicion? I would like to smack that former self of mine. How many couscous meals did I have in Paris that were simply begging to be adorned with that reddish manna? How many merguez sausages did I eat, blithely, stupidly unaware of how good they could have really been? Silly me, walking around Paris like I thought I knew what was what, eating baguettes and falling in love and living in a tiny garrett when what I really should have been doing was eating harissa.

Clearly I have some catching up to do.

I used Amy's recipe to start, but then I saw Mary's post on the same subject and decided to do a little fusing of the two. Far less garlic than Amy calls for, and cumin instead of caraway - though less because of flavor than circumstance: I don't have a spice grinder. I also lessened the amounts of spices somewhat. This harissa is hot, yes, but not too too much, and incredibly floral. Something about the alchemy between the peppers and the spices and the oil creates this wonderfully lush pepper paste that begs to be stirred into and spread onto almost everything it comes across.

One thing I have to say before you go and make this yourselves? Please buy a pair of plastic gloves. I didn't have any, and ended up deseeding the peppers with plastic bags on my hands. I looked like some kind of self-mutilating basket case. Plus, looks aside, it made deseeding - already not the best part of any day - a real pain.

Tomato-pepper harissa
Makes 1 cup

4 ounces dried chiles (I used New Mexico chiles, but you could also use guajillo chiles or an equal mixture of both)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 sun-dried tomatoes, dry-packed
1 large red bell pepper
2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, plus extra for storage

1. Roast the red pepper in the oven until blistered and collapsing on all sides. Set aside to cool on baking sheet. Place the chiles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let rest until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, then remove the seeds and stems from the chiles. Wear latex or rubber gloves when you do this to avoid irritating your skin.

2. Place the seeded and stemmed chiles into the bowl of a food processor with the garlic and pulse a couple of times. Add the salt, cumin and coriander. Process until smooth, pouring the olive oil into the feeding tube on top as you blend.

3. In a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water and allow to soften, about 15 minutes. Drain. Remove the skin of the roasted pepper, and the veins and the seeds. Do not rinse under water.

4. Add the tomatoes and one-half of the roasted red pepper (reserve the rest for another use) to the chile mixture, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed to achieve the right consistency. The harissa should have the texture of thick paste. Cover with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerate until needed.

Comments

[Heather]

Where did you find New Mexico chiles? I've been drooling over the LA Times harissa recipe all week since Heidi linked to it, but I'm no pepper expert and the internet seems rather confused when it comes to "New Mexico" chiles (they're just New Mexican/they're a specific variey/you can just use Anaheims etc). Would love someone to set me straight!

[Monica]

Note on spice grinders: I've used an old coffee grinder for this purpose (which needs pretty good cleaning between uses, depending on what has been ground) but even better for smallish amounts (tablespoon or less) is a mortar and pestle. It works especially well with toasted spices and provides a lovely aromatic, hands-on experience.

[Luisa]

Heather - I bought the peppers at Whole Foods. They were grouped together with dried corn husks and Mexican oregano, in the canned food aisle, I think.

Monica - would you believe that I don't own a mortar and pestle either? I don't really understand why I keep resisting. Mulishness, I suppose.

[shira]

Hi there. I can't say I've tried my hand at making harissa (it's too ubiquitous in my North African-populated corner of Paris), but I do remember that the original Moro cookbook (you have seen it, haven't you?--it's as good as they say, as are the two that follow) has a recipe using dried rose petals.

[Daniela Gattegno]

I am new to your blog, but already loving it.. I live in Edinburgh and I would like to think that I love thinking and eating food.. Its so interesting to read what is written about food in the US.. it seems much more colourful than what we get!

[nosheteria]

Yay! A harissa recipe! In NY I used to buy and eat the stuff all the time. I went through jars of it. But now that we've moved to CT, I can't find it anywhere, but now I'll just make it. Yum...

[radish]

I think harissa is just one of those things that are, well, sublime. I can pretty much have it on anything and at any time. I cannot even tell you just how much I adore the stuff. I can't wait to make this -- once I move into my new apt!!

[cyndi]

This recipe looks amazing. I must make it. Coincidentally, I have a huge bag of guajillos that I bought at Shoprite which were left over from a salsa recipe, so this will be a perfect way to use it up! thx.

[kathryn]

I didn't really "get" harissa until I started making my own. The brands I'd tried here in Australia were all a bit bland or rough tasting. Which is a crime against harissa! I agree about it being super-useful. I also add tablespoons and teaspoons here and there, to whatever else I'm cooking.

My favourite use is lablabi - a soup with chickpeas, bread, fresh herbs and eggs. Such simple ingredients and yet together they're magic.

[m]

I second the gloves...

Good god. I made hot sauce a few years back...

80 cayennes from the back yard, chopped up by hand without any gloves because I was young and stupid. Chemical burns up most of my arms (took a few days to ago away). After religiously washing my hands for about 30 minutes I thought I was ok. Went to the washroom a few hours later (I'm a dude).. came out.. sat down.. "man, it's getting hot in here". Several hours of cold showers later... I learned my lesson .

Sometimes it pays to not "man up" and just wear the fricken gloves.

[Christine]

Ha! I've done the plastic produce bags on the hands myself for pepper deseeding--because I always forget to buy gloves and it is still so much better than rubbing my eyes some 12 hours later and still burning the heck out of my poor eyes. (Let us leave alone for a minute contact removal. Ouch.)

And man, the harissa seems to be every where of late. It seems like it may be time to jump on this bandwagon, since you have yet to steer me wrong.

[[eatingclub] vancouver]

All this harissa-love is making me very, very curious. I've never tried harissa before. I've seen it in jars in stores but I've always resisted the urge to buy. I figure I'd make it myself. I'm clipping this to remind myself to make harissa SOON. Because I so want the eggs with harissa.

[dara]

yum! you can more easily deseed the peppers while they are dry i think. just crack 'em open, pull apart, and pull or cut out the seeds and ribs with scissors. i think before they're wet, the burning volatile oils are not as active. try it next time...

[Victoria]

Sounds amazing. I love useful condiments.

[ann]

Have you been to either of the two Israeli restaurants in Brooklyn called Miriam? They make a green harissa that is to. die. FOR. Seriously, I crave it on a near weekly basis. Harissa is, as you put it manna. And just this week, I believe, Heidi Swanson published a recipe for pasta with harissa, so I'd say you're in good (and respectable) territory!

[Mary B.]

Hi Luisa,

I love this recipe. Living in Texas I am overwhelmed with the array of peppers we have. Even after all the years I have lived here - I'm still impressed! Before I make this, I just wanted to check with you - when you say New Mexico chillies - do you mean the Hatch variety?

Also - I know what you mean about needing the gloves. Can you imagine...when I was a new bride, I wanted to impress my husband, so I seeded a bunch of jalapenos and then filled them with cream cheese. I was proud of myself. But later that night I was in tears with first degree burns on my fingers! I cried while my husband slathered my hands in burn cream. Quite a site!

[Mercedes]

Hahaha, whenever I visit my mom I steal a few plastic surgical gloves for messy kitchen tasks. They're good for peppers or making chocolate truffles.
I've never made my own harissa but I'm encouraged to try.

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Another way to crush those chiles is to put them inside a ziploc bag, seal the bag, and rub it between your fingers. Easy and no mess! And harissa is worth whatever you have to go through -- it's become a necessity in my kitchen. Or an addiction...

[deanna]

Wow, this looks heavenly! I've made chimichurri this month and so maybe I will have to make it "condiment month" and give this a try. Great photos!

[Luisa]

Shira - I have seen that cookbook and think it's lovely, though I don't own it. Rose petals sounds intriguing, I wonder if you could sub rosewater?

Daniela - welcome! Have a look around, hope you stay awhile :)

Kathryn - that soup sounds amazing. Do you have a recipe for it?

M - oh my God, my arms started to itch as I read your comment. You poor thing!

Ann - green harissa sounds fantastic. Wonder if it's all cilantro? Will have to investigate...

Mary B - oh dear, I am the worst person to ask about chiles. I don't know my way out of a paper bag when it comes to them. They were simply labeled New Mexico chiles, no Hatch anywhere...

[Alexa]

Yet another great recipe, Luisa! Just a quick question:
Do you happen to know how long this will keep in the fridge?
Many thanks!

[Luisa]

Alexa - as long as you keep a thin film of oil on top, the harissa will keep indefinitely. The flavors keep developing somewhat, which is lovely.

[MangerLaVille]

This looks great. Harissa does look quite versatile. How long does it keep for?

[Hillary]

Well damn, I have seriously been looking for a good harissa recipe lately to make my own. My aunt introduced me to harissa and now I'm obsessed! Glad to see I'm not alone.

[KatyBelle]

Just wondering, how long does this last in the fridge?

[fiona]

just came across this blog looking for a recipe for revuelto con chorizo but stuck around...

I am a big harissa fan - and as mentioned by a previous poster the Moro one is great. You can see it here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/harissa_82929.shtml

I make it using dried red chillies and it works out fine.I find deseeding the dried chillies by scrunching them a bit before soaking allows the most flavour to heat ratio!
The caraway seeds are crucial, giving a flavour quite different from other hot sauces...
Don't have a copy for the rose petal one alas.

[Amy]

I used this Lablabi recipe, and it was very good with the OP's Harissa recipe
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 can chickpeas, no need to drain
• 2 tsp harissa
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 per person toasted day old sour dough or hoagie etc, in 1to 2 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 per person soft-boiled eggs
• olive oil
• Lemon wedges
Simmer stock, chickpeas, harissa, cumin, garlic and salt for 20 minutes.
Divide bread and cilantro into soup bowls.
Prepare the eggs (I boil water, reduce heat, add eggs, then simmer for 5-6 minutes. Run under cold tap until cool enough to peel.)
Top each with a peeled, broken, soft boiled egg, then ladle soup over, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with lemon.