Harissa Paste - Test 1

1 - Ben and Paula had the paste just as a condiment on cheese and crackers and went bonkers for it!

2 - Seven years later, I make my second batch. I have to remember that it's a bit tedious, but really worth it. This time I used about .5oz of dried ancho and 2.5oz of jalapeno, so I adjusted the remaining ingredients to 3/4 of the recipe. It's still very good.

4 oz dried chillies (of your choice, I used Morita) (or fresh) see NOTES
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
Olive oil (minimum 2 Tbsps, see recipe)
Juice from 1 lemon
leaves from 3-5 sprigs of fresh peppermint

1. Put dried chillies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast the caraway, coriander and cumin in a dry pan, shaking to prevent burning, until the seeds start to pop and crackle. Remove from heat and grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle.
3. Once the chillies are soaked, save the liquid. Seed and stem the chillies and give them a rough chop.
4. In a mortar and pestle or a food processor, combine all the ingredients and process until you get a smooth paste. To achieve the paste consistency, add olive oil and the soaking liquid in equal parts, by the Tbsp-full until the desired consistency is achieved.
5. To store, put in a glass or non-reactive jar and pour a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.

NOTES

• Chillies and their effect:

1. Guajillo, New Mexico = moderately spicy
2. Arbol, Puya = spicy
3. Chipotle, Morita = smoky
4. Ancho, Mulato, Pasilla = depth of flavour
5. Roasted red sweet pepper = mild

• If you have fresh chillies, use twice as much, eg: 8 oz of fresh for 4 oz of dried
• Powdered chilli like cayenne (super hot) or paprika work just as well at a 1:1 ratio.