Harissa Paste
“I was a kid living with my family in Casablanca, Morocco, when I tasted harissa for the first time. I add it to everything I can when I cook. It works wonderfully on fish or shrimp, or even to spice up a plate of pasta.” — Nicolas, recipe tester
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170 g) hot red peppers (such as Fresno, cherry or Hot Portugal), seeded
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cover the peppers and garlic with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.
- In a blender or small food processor, purée the peppers, garlic and 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil until smooth.
- In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the purée with the remaining oil, lemon juice, paprika, coriander and salt for 5 to 8 minutes or until it changes in colour from orange-red to deep red. Let cool. The harissa paste will keep for 3 weeks in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
“I was a kid living with my family in Casablanca, Morocco, when I tasted harissa for the first time. I add it to everything I can when I cook. It works wonderfully on fish or shrimp, or even to spice up a plate of pasta.” — Nicolas, recipe tester