Harissa is a hot sauce – more of a paste really – from North Africa. Homemade Harissa is easy to make. There are as many harissa recipes as there are cooks from the countries that use it, so feel free to experiment with types of chiles and amount of aromatics to find the mix you like best. Use Homemade Harissa anywhere you want a bit of heat and flavor.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: About 3/4 cup Homemade Harissa
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. large dried red chiles (New Mexican chiles work nicely here)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 stems flat-leaf parsley
- 16 large mint leaves
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Preparation:
- Stem and seed the chiles. Put them in a medium bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let chiles soak in hot water for about 30 minutes.
- Drain chiles, reserving a cup of the soaking liquid. Put chiles in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Whirl until a smooth paste/sauce forms. Add a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid to thin the mixture, if you like.
- Taste and add more oil, lemon juice, or salt, if you like. Transfer Homemade Harissa to a jar with a tight-fitting lid or other sealable container and store for up to two weeks. Cover the surface of the harissa with a solid layer of olive oil and a sealable lid for longer storage. Homemade Harissa also freezes nicely.
