Oh Harissa, How I Love Thee

This stuff is incredible. I ordered Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi because I was curious about those fragrant Middle Eastern spices that add such soft subtle layers of flavor to a dish. Well, let's just say Harissa, a Tunisian hot sauce, is my new favorite flavoring agent. It's like Sriracha...only a million times better. I'll call it a deeper, more nuanced cousin of Sriracha. It's a beautiful thing that is worthwhile to make, as it can be used as a condiment on just about anything or simply stirred into sauces and soups. And don't worry about rushing to use it...it can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks or even longer.

Harissa

adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

1 red pepper

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3 hot red chiles, seeded (I subbed 1 red and one green chile) and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Place the pepper under a very hot broiler or on a gas stove top turned up to medium heat, turning occasionally for about 25 minutes, until completely blackened on the outside. transfer to a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let cool. When it's cool, peel the peeper, discarding the skin and seeds.

Lightly toast the coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds for 2 minutes on low heat. Grind them to a powder with a a mortar and pestle

Fry the onion, garlic, and chiles over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. They should look dark and almost caramelized.

In a blender or food processor, blitz together all of the ingredients until smooth, add oil if needed.