Harissa

Storing and Planning Ahead

Refrigerated under a film of oil for up to 4 days; top the oil up after each use. Raw garlic held in oil can carry botulism, which the oil seal does not stop, so for longer keeping freeze it in tablespoon portions, for up to a year.

Harissa: The Method

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1. Stem and deseed all the chillies. Wear gloves for this — the hot ones will stay on your fingers for a day.

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2. Cover them with just-boiled water and soak 30 minutes, until completely soft and pliable.

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3. Toast the caraway, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, until they smell warm and start to crackle. Grind to a powder.

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4. Drain the chillies and squeeze them hard in your hands until no more water comes out.

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5. Pound or blitz them with the garlic, ground spices, salt and vinegar to a coarse paste. It should stay slightly grainy, not become a purée.

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6. Work in 4 tbsp of the olive oil.

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7. Pack into a sterilised jar, level the surface and pour the remaining oil over the top to seal it. Refrigerate.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Pointers

• Toast and grind the caraway yourself. This is the whole flavour.
• Two kinds of chilli — mild for body, hot for heat.
• Squeeze the chillies genuinely dry or it will not keep.

Behind the Recipe

Caraway is what makes harissa Tunisian rather than merely hot, and it has to be toasted whole and ground fresh — pre-ground caraway loses the anise note within weeks and leaves you with heat and not much else. The chillies matter almost as much: use a mild, meaty dried chilli for the body and a small number of hot ones for the heat, rather than a single fierce variety, or you get a paste that burns without tasting of anything. Squeeze them properly dry after soaking, since water in the jar shortens the keeping time drastically.

Good Alongside

Any dish in this volume · Bread and olive oil · Grilled fish

Ingredient Swaps

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the red chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Quick Answers

Harissa Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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