Harissa Paste
Season: July to September: Harissa is a North African ingredient used to enhance many fish and meat dishes, as well as couscous and soups. I also like to use my version to make a fruity, fiery dipping sauce (see below) to serve with pork, fish, or prawns. The strength of the paste depends on the variety and quantity of chiles used. The chances are that this recipe, which I would describe as moderately hot, will merely tickle the palate of out-and-out chile freaks. But all you need do to make it more fiery is increase the amount of chiles, include more of their seeds (see below), or perhaps add one or two very hot little dried chiles.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 3/4 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Drop the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds, then scoop out and peel off the skins.
Step 2
Remove the stems from the chiles. The seeds contain most of the fruit’s heat, and at this point, you can choose to either leave all the seeds in or, for a less intense paste, cut some of them out. Make sure you wash your hands after handling chiles and avoid touching your eyes for awhile, as the chile oil will burn them.
Step 3
Put the skinned tomatoes, chiles, and all the other ingredients except the oil in a food processor and process until well blended. Pour into a small saucepan and heat until boiling, then simmer for about 10 minutes, until reduced and starting to thicken. Let cool, then pack into warm, sterilized jars (see p. 21), leaving a 3/8-inch gap at the top. Pour oil over the paste to completely cover it. Seal the jars.
Step 4
Store in the fridge and use within 4 months. If you want to extend the shelf life, pack in small, sealable containers and freeze. Once opened, keep in the fridge, making sure the paste in the jar is completely covered by a layer of oil.
P.S.
Step 5
For a tasty chile plum dipping sauce, simmer 1/4 cup of rice vinegar or cider vinegar, 5 tablespoons of plum jam (p. 61), and 1 teaspoon of harissa paste until reduced and thickened.
