Harissa: chile and spice paste
Harissa is chile blended with garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, salt and olive oil. The oil pulls fat-soluble color and flavor out of the chiles and spices, so the paste turns deep red and tastes rounded. Stir a spoonful into soups, stews and eggs.
Warm the spices, then seal with oil
Toast whole spices in a dry pan, grind them, and warm them briefly in oil so the fat picks up their aroma. Pack the paste in a clean jar, press it down and top with a thin layer of olive oil to keep air out. Refrigerate it and use a clean spoon each time.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why is olive oil a main ingredient in harissa?
It dissolves fat-soluble color and flavor from the spices. Many flavor and color compounds in chiles and spices dissolve in oil.
True or false: Dried chiles are usually soaked in hot water before blending into harissa.
True. Hot water softens dried chiles so they blend into a smooth paste.
Fill the blank: A thin layer of oil on top of the jar keeps ___ away from the paste.
A thin layer of oil on top of the jar keeps air away from the paste. The oil blocks air at the surface, which slows spoilage and drying.
What went wrong? You scoop harissa with a wet spoon and leave the oil film broken. Two weeks later there are fuzzy spots on top.
Moisture and air reached the surface. A wet spoon adds water and a broken film lets air in.
Tonight's harissa is too thick to drizzle. What loosens it without dulling the flavor?
Whisk in a spoonful of olive oil or water. Both thin the paste and keep the flavor intact.