Harissa

Harissa is a Northwest African chile pepper paste with red peppers and spices and herbs such as garlic, coriander, caraway. Of course, when a condiment is used everywhere from Tunisia and Libya to Algeria and Morocco, you’re bound to find as many versions of it as there likely are people who make it, so there are recipes with cumin, lemon juice or even smoked chiles. There’s no one correct way to make it.

The fiery pastes can be made from fresh charred peppers for a one-two punch of smoke and spice, rehydrated dried chilies with notes of raisin and plum, or a combination of the two.

Which dried chiles to use? From Amy Scattergood: “Although you can make harissa out of virtually any dried chile that suits your personal heat index, most traditional harissas use chiles that are only about as hot as anchos or pasillas. Guajillo and New Mexico chiles, according to cookbook author Paula Wolfert, are the closest to the peppers of Nabeul and Gabès in Tunisia. Use one or both, or add a few chipotle chiles into the mix: The smokiness of the chipotles adds a terrific earthy note. Or, if you like more heat, add a generous handful of chiles de arbol or even some red-hot Thai chiles — the flavors will mellow a bit, though not that much.”

Harissa Paste
from http://www.saveur.com/

In North Africa, cooks have long relied on this garlicky chile paste to lend depth to cooked meats and vegetables. It's incredibly dependable in its ability to liven up foods—we use it in all sorts of ways, from serving alongside crudités to rubbing grilled meats to topping falafel. This recipe is based on one in A Mediterranean Feast by Clifford Wright (William Morrow, 1999).

8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (about 2 oz.)
8 dried new mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded (about 1 1⁄2 oz.)
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 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon

Put chiles into a medium bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Heat caraway, coriander, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat. Toast spices, swirling skillet constantly, until very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer spices to a grinder with the mint and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Drain chiles and transfer to the bowl of a food processor with the ground spices, olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the paste is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a sterilized 1-pint glass jar and fill with oil until ingredients are submerged by 1⁄2". Refrigerate, topping off with more oil after each use. Harissa paste will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Harissa
By Yotam Ottolenghi Sami Tamimi, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, https://www.epicurious.com/, August 2013

Harissa, the basic flavoring agent in Tunisian cuisine, is extremely versatile. (Tunisia is a North African country bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert.) Use it as a condiment for grilled meat or fish, add it to roasted vegetables, or stir into stews and soups. We particularly like it with couscous or rice. Adjust the amount of heat by increasing or reducing the number of chiles. Just remember, it is meant to be hot!

1 red pepper
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped (scant 2/3 cup / 90 g in total)
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 hot red chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Place the pepper under a very hot broiler, turning occasionally for about 25 minutes, until blackened on the outside and completely soft.

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to cool. Peel the pepper and discard its skin and seeds.

Place a dry frying pan over low heat and lightly toast the coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds for 2 minutes. Remove them to a mortar and use a pestle to grind to a powder.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and fry the onion, garlic, and chiles for 10 to 12 minutes, until a dark smoky color and almost caramelized.

Now use a blender or a food processor to blitz together all of the paste ingredients until smooth, adding a little more oil if needed.

Store in a sterilized jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or even longer.

YIELD: Makes about 1 small jar
About a generous 3/4 cup / 200 ml)