Harissa (Tunisian)

Harissa is a hot chili paste that is commonly found in North African cooking, mainly Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian cuisine. It is added to couscous, soups, pasta, and other recipes and can also be purchased in Middle Eastern stores in a can. For a very spicy harissa: use a blend of cayenne, chile de arbol, or cayenne with a milder chile like ancho chilies. For medium spiciness: use a blend of New Mexico chilies with guajillo chilies. In North Africa, cooks have long relied on this garlicky chile paste to lend depth to cooked meats and vegetables. It's incredibly dependable in its ability to liven up foods - we use it in all sorts of ways, from serving alongside crudités to rubbing grilled meats to topping falafel.

8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (about 2 oz)
8 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seed (about 1½ oz)
½ tsp. caraway seeds
¼ tsp. coriander seeds
¼ tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried mint leaves
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. kosher salt
5 cloves garlic
1 lemon, freshly squeezed

Put chiles into a medium bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Heat caraway, coriander, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat. Toast spices, swirling skillet constantly, until very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer spices to a grinder with the mint and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Drain chiles and transfer to the bowl of a food processor with the ground spices, olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the paste is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a sterilized 1-pint glass jar and fill with oil until ingredients are submerged by ½".

Refrigerate, topping off with more oil after each use. Harissa paste will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 1 cup.