The Harissa can be considered a sauce or a condiment, depending on how you look at it. It is very spicy and is generally used to season couscous and meat recipes, although in some countries such as Tunisia it is also used to season some types of sandwiches. Its origin is the Maghreb, although it is possible to find it practically throughout the Middle East. Housewives in the area now tend to buy the harissa preparations they find in the supermarket, just as we do with mayonnaise and other sauces. There are many recipes for harissa.
INGREDIENTS :
- 50 grams (1.8 oz) of hot red peppers (chili, chili, etc)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon caraway
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
The herbs used (coriander and caraway) are not replaceable by any other. At least if we want to preserve the authentic flavor of the harissa. Coriander is easy to find, but if you can't find it, you can use parsley. The caraway flavor is somewhat more complex. It is somewhat spicy but with the aroma of anise. That is, it could be substituted for half a teaspoon of powdered black pepper and a half of anise. Finding caraway can be difficult and you will probably have to go to a herbalist.
First, we soak the chilies to hydrate them. An hour should be enough. We incorporate all the ingredients (except the olive oil) in a mortar and mash vigorously. We start adding olive oil little by little to get a smooth paste. I cannot give a specific amount of oil because depending on the amount used we will have a sauce or, adding less quantity, a paste to dissolve in stews, for example.
It goes without saying that it is very spicy and its use is always in small amounts.