After a bit of research I was able to find it at La Bottega in the Ottawa Market, and also the Whalesbone Oyster House on Kent Street, and Alladhin on St.Laurent Blvd.
Harissa is a North African hot sauce where the main ingredients are Piri piri style chili peppers, tomatoes and smoked paprika.
Now the following recipe for Harissa comes from the Professional Chef Series Volume 7,
Ingredients:
•10 dried red chili peppers
•4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•2-3 tablespoons olive oil
•1 teaspoon coriander seeds
•1 teaspoon caraway seeds
•1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
Directions:
Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds.
In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt and olive oil. Blend.
Using a mortar and pestle grind the coriander and caraway seeds to a fine powder.
Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste.
Store in airtight container and top with a little olive oil. Can last up to one month in the fridge.
see below a picture of the finished product.
Hope this helps and would love to hear what you tried making with Harissa.
Hi Chef Bear, thanks for the response. I plan to use it for a vegetarian couscous dish with mixed vegetables. Will let you know how it turns out. Sharik
ReplyDeleteHarissa keeps well in the fridge, but be sure to cover it with a little olive oil to keep it from being exposed to the air.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Harissa paste. I use it on roast lamb and beef....and its great in left over meat sandwiches, to give them a little zing
ReplyDeleteWow, Its unique blend with chili peppers. So hot it eats my tongue out. Thanks for the share.
ReplyDeleteNice blog, simply like your recipe, thanx for the wonderful tips.
ReplyDeleteI bought a small can of harissa paste from an Asian food store and only used a little bit? How long would it keep for covered in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteThis was a great recipe and as it says it keeps well in the fridge. You must however remember to replace any oil if you only use a little of the mix in one go.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I plan to use it for a vegetarian couscous dish with mixed vegetables, let me try this.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Tunisia for a couple of years and was thankful to find this recipe! It brings back so many memories and now some of my attempts to cook Tunisian food will taste more authentic. I did "cheat" however, and used a blender instead of a mortar and pestle. I added some water and olive oil to make sure it was the right consistency. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
ReplyDeleteVery similar to what we have when we go to North Africa. It had great heat. We had it with lamb burgers. I can't wait to try it tomorrow with tuna.
ReplyDeleteThe sauce is kind of thin but it tastes delicious over white rice. I definately added more of the liquid ingredients. My husband and two year old loved the ribs.
ReplyDeleteLove this! You can use a variety of peppers, and I like the mint in it. So much better than what you find in the stores!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I plan to use it for a vegetarian couscous dish with mixed vegetables, let me try this.
ReplyDelete