Harissa Paste I

Harissa paste is a hot pepper paste served with almost every meal in North Africa. Not only can you serve it as a condiment, but you can also stir it into whatever meal you are preparing. This post has only 1 picture, which gives you an idea of how easy it is to create. You simply blend everything together and serve. Easy as that. There are several small variations with this recipe, so expect a few more Harissa posts down the road.

The recipe below is medium to spicy, but if you want it super hot, feel free to throw in a hot pepper as well.

Harissa Paste I
Serving Size = 1/4 cup or so

• 8 dried red chiles (I used New Mexico, hot), seeds and all
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt
• 3 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

1. Put the peppers in some hot water and allow them to re-hydrate for an hour.
2. Drain off the excess water, squeeze any out. Remove the stems, but keep the seeds. 
3. Saute the smashed garlic in a touch of oil, just for a minute. Or, if you don't mind raw garlic, just add it to the blender.
4. Place everything into the blender with all of the other ingredients and blend.
5. Store in an airtight container with a tiny bit of oil over the top. It will keep in the fridge for 1 month.

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