Harissa- Tunisian hot pepper paste
The day my mom made Harissa in the kitchen was a very busy day. Like in a manufacturing line at a factory, there were “stations” in the kitchen of red peppers, soaked in water, drained peppers, spices, a grinding station and the “final destination”- distribution and freezing.
It’s not a paste that you make a small batch of. Since there is so much you can do with Harissa, I always have a jar in hand in my fridge.
It’s an excellent starter for many dishes, a wonderful addition to many Moroccan salads or as a picante spread to spice up sandwiches.
1 pack dried hot peppers (about 3-4 cups)
5 garlic cloves
About ¾ c oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp coriander
Take the stem off the peepers and soak them in hot water for an hour or more.
Drain. Put in a good processor and the garlic and spices together with ¼ c oil.
Start processing and add more oil only till you get the consistency of paste (leave some of the oil for covering). Fix seasoning.
Transfer to a container and cover with oil. Refrigerate or freeze.