Harissa (Greek version)

A Greek version of the North African condiment

Harissa (Greek version)

Adapted from Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, by José Andrés

In warm weather, I'm in love with harissa. You see this red chili sauce everywhere. I'm not normally a person who likes a lot of hot chilis—I usually don't, but I keep finding myself reaching for this spicy mix; a classic of North Africa. It adds an intense flavor to rich meats, especially when a cool, creamy labneh is there beside it. While most harissa recipes are loaded with garlic, I like it less pungent and more balanced with spices.

Using a food processor is an easy way to bring this mixture together, but if you have a meat grinder attachment for a stand mixer, you will get a more complex sauce with more texture, I promise. If you want it spicier, keep the seeds in one of the Fresno chilis or add cayenne or pepper flakes to the chilis before grinding them. I like the sweet notes that Spanish piquillo peppers can add to this sauce to balance out the spice; if you can find jarred Greek florina peppers, even better, but you can easily roast large red bell peppers to add instead.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and ends trimmed
  • 1½ teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
  • 2½ teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons caraway seeds
  • 2 to 3 red Fresno chilis (to taste), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

  2. Rub the carrot with ½ teaspoon of the oil, season with salt, and place in a roasting pan. Roast the carrot until completely soft and dark brown, almost black, about 30 minutes. After the carrot has cooked for 15 minutes, toss the peppers with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt, then add the peppers to the roasting pan to cook for the remaining 15 minutes, or until the peppers are completely soft.

  3. Meanwhile, warm a small frying pan over low heat. Add the cumin, coriander, and caraway and lightly toast the seeds, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind the seeds to a powder using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.

  4. Once cool enough to handle, chop the carrot and put it in a mixing bowl.

  5. Add the roasted bell peppers, Fresno chilis, lemon juice, and spice mixture, then pass through a food mill fitted with a medium (3mm) disk or a stand mixer fitted with the meat grinder attachment and the fine meat-grinding plate to make a thick, slightly saucy paste. (You can also pulse in a food processor: pulse the carrots until finely minced, then add the remaining ingredients and pulse to make a paste.) Stir to make sure the harissa is well mixed, then season to taste with salt.

  6. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

  • For a spicier version, keep the seeds in one of the Fresno chilis
  • Spanish piquillo peppers or Greek florina peppers can be substituted for red bell peppers
  • To make it easier, use a jar of roasted red peppers
  • This pairs well with labneh or other creamy dairy products
  • for a more classic version, add some garlic