Spicy Harissa at Home

Originally hailing from North Africa, harissa is a fiery hot sauce as ever-present in the Maghreb as ketchup is on American tables.  That being said, any further comparisons to ketchup (other than noting that they're both condiments) are almost outright offensive.  

Varying not just from country to country, but one ethnic group to another, a sojourner in the region would encounter many different styles of the famed hot sauce.  However, mainstays at the harissa party include hot red chiles, coriander, and olive oil.  Easy enough, right?  So, why don't you give it a try?

As mentioned in the above paragraph, there are some ingredients you'll almost always find in harissa, while others aren't as commonplace.  This recipe I came up with is a pretty "standard" harissa in the sense it does not contain anything truly unique like a boiled carrot you'd find in some Libyan varieties.  A lot of recipes will call for dried mint, which I suggest trying, or maybe skip the caraway (which I don't suggest), so feel free to add and subtract to your own liking.

There are some things you should know before making this harissa so you spend time enjoying it, rather than cursing its name while you chug milk and pray for the terminus of your torment. 

The sauce is going to get spicier after sitting, so don't try to be some Alpha chilehead (insert pejorative adjective here) who assures others nothing is too hot for him/her.  I love spicy food, but I still deseed my red hots and the habanero, which brings me to my next point about the brief cooking process the garlic and chiles undergo.

A quick saute in the pan releases enough capsaicin from the habanero that I find it unnecessary and imprudent to actually include it in the finished sauce.  I always pull the habanero out before pureeing the red chiles with the garlic and spices.  Once I've pureed the harissa to a smooth consistency, then I check to decide if I want it hotter.  

Remember my first point about the sauce getting spicier as it sits before you decide you want to throw in half of that habanero.  In fact, if you do decide you want it hotter, add some bottled hot sauce or gradually blend small pieces of the habanero into your harissa and taste.  If you throw that whole chile in, it will ruin the sauce for 99.98% of you.  

Now that you've been warned, go forth and dump your homemade harissa on everything.  To hell with that cock sauce no one will shut up about.  Your eggs, dips, canned tuna, stews, and pastas deserve more flavor and creativity.

Ingredients (yields 3/4 of a cup):

9 red hot chiles, you can also use Fresno or red jalapeños (7 3/4 oz/220 g)

1 habanero 

4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 t cumin seeds

1 t caraway seeds

1/2 t coriander seeds

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 t kosher salt

1-1 1/2 t olive oil plus extra to top sauce

Need metric?

- Toast seeds in a dry saute pan over medium heat, swirling constantly until spices are fragrant (2-3 minutes), remove from heat and grind in spice grinder.

- Slice chiles in half and remove most of the seeds and placenta.  Keep the habanero in two pieces, but slice the red chiles into smaller pieces.

- Heat approximately 1 tsp of olive oil in a saute pan over medium to medium-high heat and add garlic and chiles to pan once oil is shimmering. 

- Stir ingredients in pan for about 2 to 3 minutes.  This softens some of the taste of the raw garlic.

- Add in juice of one lemon and stir while pan deglazes.  Toss ingredients for another minute.  If the lemon juice reduces too much, add 1 tsp of water.

- Remove habanero from pan and set aside. Puree the red chiles and garlic.  Once you've got a bit of a paste, add the toasted spices and salt and puree until smooth.  You can add water or extra lemon juice in 1/4 tsp increments if the sauce is too thick. 

- To finish, slowly drizzle in 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil while pureeing to create a bit of an emulsion.  Stop once the oil is incorporated.  Once you have a smooth sauce, taste for seasoning and decide if you want it spicier.
- For storage, pour harissa into clean jar/container and top with a little bit of olive oil for freshness and store in the refrigerator. 

- Serve on eggs, mixed with hummus or a standalone dip, as a spread for sandwiches, use as a marinade, throw it in stews or add to pastas.

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