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Spicy Harissa

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: MAKES 3/4 CUP
  • •BASIC-EASY
  • •FAST
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •VEGETARIAN

Harissa is North Africa's famous fiery condiment. At Savoy Peter Hoffman uses sweet, rich ancho chiles to make the paste less incendiary.

  1. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  2. 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  3. 4 ancho chiles
  4. 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
  5. 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
  6. 4 garlic cloves
  7. 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  1. In a small skillet, toast the cumin and coriander seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until the seeds are lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  2. Put the chiles in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the stems and scrape the seeds from the chiles. In a food processor, combine the anchos, parsley, cilantro, garlic and the toasted cumin and coriander seeds; process until smooth. Add enough of the olive oil to make a very loose paste.
Make Ahead The harissa can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.