harissa paste

I started eating large quantities of harissa around the time I first tried Heidi Swanson's recipe for harissa spaghettini, a simple but oh-so-delicious spicy pasta dish with kale and olives that has since become a weekly staple in my diet. As a result, I keep bulk amounts of harissa spice mix in the cupboards at all times so that I'm always prepared for an impromptu feast. Initially however, I ran into the problem of finding harissa paste, so I started making my own simple version out of spices, a little olive oil, lemon, and garlic.

When making the spice mix, it's best to use whole spices and grind them yourself, but to be perfectly honest I think it's still pretty packed with flavor if you don't. This recipe results in a paste that is less thick than a traditional paste and doubles as an exotic olive oil dip for your table bread.

harissa spice blend

Ingredients

1T caraway seeds

1T cumin

1T coriander

1T paprika

1T dried mint

1T salt

1/4 cup red pepper flakes

Method

Blend ingredients in a blender or crush to combine using a mortar and pestle.

harissa paste

Ingredients

1T harissa spice mixture (above)

2 T olive oil

1 clove garlic

peel of half a lemon

Method

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin.