Harissa Paste Recipes

Steps:

• Roast pepper over the flame of a gas burner, turning with tongs, until blackened and blistered. (Or roast under broiler, turning as needed.) Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 15 minutes. Rub off skin with paper towels, then remove and discard ribs and seeds. Puree pepper with garlic, chili paste, spices, oil, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Put the coriander, caraway and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and toast for 1 min. Grind in a pestle and mortar. Soak the guajillo chillies in warm water, then drain and remove the seeds (keep the soaking water). Put the spices and the soaked chillies into a blender with the halved red chillies, the garlic, coriander, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt. Add some chipotle paste to taste if you want a smoky flavour. Blend to a thick paste with a little soaking liquid. Put in a sterilised jar and pour over a little extra olive oil. Will keep chilled for up to two weeks.

Steps:

• Drop the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds, then scoop out and peel off the skins.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.