Harissa - smoky, spicy, and full of flavour.
This North African paste is easier to make than you think, and so much better homemade. You can dial up the heat or keep it mild - it’s all about balance.
We’ve used our Waiheke Blend EVOO to bring it together. The EVOO's creamy, nutty notes pair beautifully with the chilli and spices.
Ingredients
15 dried Arbol chillies
2 dried Guajillo chillies
1 dried Ancho Poblano chilli
3 garlic cloves
200ml Waiheke Blend EVOO
1 t cumin seeds
1 ½ t coriander seeds
3 t lemon juice
1 t white wine vinegar
2 t tomato paste
1 ½ t smoked paprika
2-3 t sea salt
Directions
Place the dried chillies in a large bowl and submerge in boiling water. Weight them down under the water and sit for 30-45 minutes until the chillies are soft and cool enough to handle. Drain off the water, then remove and discard the stems and seeds.
Meanwhile peel the garlic and place in the smallest pot you have with 50-70ml of Waiheke Blend EVOO and warm, swirling, over a low heat for about 8-10 minutes. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan over a medium low heat, tossing intermittently, for about 3 minutes.
Place the spices in a food processor along with the garlic and it’s confit oil, the lemon juice, vinegar, tomato paste, paprika and salt and pulse blitz into a paste. Add the chillies and blend into a coarse paste. Then, slowly stream in 120ml of EVOO, while blending until the harissa is almost smooth, with just a little texture.
Transfer into a clean jar, pour over the remaining EVOO and seal. Store in the fridge, best eaten within one month.
