Harissa is one of my favorite condiments that I use all year round. It hails from Tunesia, a North African country, and although it uses chilies, it isn’t as spicy as you might think. Toasting the chilies and then refrigerating in oil softens the heat and this paste develops a wonderfully rich, deep flavor that pairs with both meat and vegetables. As you know, I love using harissa on my little lamb racks that I eat several times a week during my dial-in.
What you’ll need…
8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed
and seeded
8 dried new mexico chiles, stemmed
and seeded
1⁄2 tsp. caraway seeds
1⁄4 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried mint leaves
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more as needed
1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
5 fat cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Put chiles into a medium bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the caraway, coriander, and cumin in an 8″ skillet over medium heat. Toast spices, swirling skillet constantly, until very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Do not burn the spices! Transfer spices to a grinder with the mint and grind to a fine powder. By this time, the chiles should have softened. Drain them and transfer to a food processor with the ground spices, olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Purée for about 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides occasionally for an even paste. Transfer to a glass jar and fill with oil until the harissa is submerged by 1⁄2″. Refrigerate, topping off with more oil after each use. Harissa paste will keep for up to 3 weeks.
