Harissa Is The New Sriracha

A while back, several of my hipster friends got their faux-hawks and handlebar mustaches in a knot over the possibility that the company that makes the popular hot sauce, Sriracha, may have to shut down.  A complaint was issued to Hoy Fong Foods in California ordering them to halt production due to grumbles from the locals about “watery and itchy eyes” due to the fumes emitting from the factory.   Judges went back and forth.  A mad rush on Sriracha ensued at supermarkets all over this great nation.

But as someone who makes her own hot sauce---I had nothing to fear but fear itself!

And frankly, homemade hot sauce is WAY better than anything you’ll find on a supermarket shelf.

Harissa is the buffalo sauce of the Middle East.

You’re not shaking a few drops on your plate to get the hotness going---you want your food coated in this stuff.  It provides heat AND flavor.

Harrisa seems to have been birthed in Tunisia, and has spread all over the Middle East from Morocco to Tunisia to Israel.  It’s beloved by all religions and ethnic groups and (at least in New York City) you can now find jars and tubes of the stuff in specialty markets.

But unlike Tabasco. Sriracha, and other bottled sauces---harissa isn’t a brand name.  Recipes for harissa vary not only from country-to-country---but from family-to-family.  It can be either mashed like Sambal or pureed like Sriracha.  Needless to say, homemade is best.

I’ve been told that I should bottle my homemade harissa and sell it.  I immediately reply, “Thank you, but I will NEVER do that.”

You have to set up as a small business with the state, apply for permits, set-up a Tax ID #, send samples of your product to a lab in Albany, become a member with a community kitchen, build a website, design packaging, register as a corporation, get a lawyer…

How about I just give you my recipe instead.

Harissa should be on the Scoville level of a Buffalo Sauce---definitely spicy, but not so much that it overpowers the taste of the dish.  What you’re going to get here is a spicy (but not fire-breathing) sauce with a LOT of flavor that you can use to smear across everything from your scrambled eggs to a turkey sandwich to some roasted cauliflower.

Let’s start with the chilies.

I have a little problem with my addiction to dried chilies.  Happily, I live near several Spanish markets and can find them quite easily.  And unless you’re living in the cul-de-sac of Whitetown, U.S.A.---you can find them, too.  They’re there.  You just haven’t noticed them. Usually somewhere near the produce section or in the corner near the Goya products.

“What is Goya?” you ask. 

Sigh. 

It’s the Spanish Food section that most white people quickly wheel their shopping cart past on their way to the more expensive (and equal in quality) Caucasian brands.

But there’s AWESOME stuff in that aisle!   I’ve been mocked for my love of Goya products.  But, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, “A lentil is a lentil is a lentil.”

Unless you get into the fancy French Puy lentils, and then…

But what are those McCormick brand Dried Chili Flakes you buy at the supermarket?

Um….you buy some dried chilies and put them in your food processor or simply crush them with a knife.

And scene.

Okay.  Let’s begin.  You’re going to start making harissa by roasting some red peppers.

Four if they’re big, six if they’re small.

I can’t give you a cup size.  This is not a bra-fitting.

No big to-do.  Wash them and put them on a pan and in the oven at around 400-425 degrees.  Turn them around a few times over the course of the hour-or so.  Pretty simple.

Meanwhile, you’re going to soak some dried chilies.

Do NOT be afraid of these things.  Play with them.  Get to know them.  They are your friends.  

I tend to go strong on the Guajllos with some Arbol and Ancho and Serrano tossed in, as well.

If you’re not familiar with different chilies….start playing with them!  Buy one or two (they’re only maybe 2 dollars a bag), look them up online, find out their Scoville level (that indicates their heat potential), their country of origin, their flavor profile…  I seem to have acquired an accidental collection SO carefully tended to and organized that a chef saw a photo of my blossoming chili anthology and said, "Wow.  You're so tidy.  I need you in MY kitchen!"

If you wear contacts, have a tendency to touch your eye, or have skin sensitivity to chilies…  Wear gloves, use dishwashing soap on your hands, or lemon or lime juice, or simply take a long hot bubble bath after handling.   

It’s not complicated.  Take a kitchen scissors (or a knife), slice off the top of the chili, and shake out the seeds into the trash can (or try to plant them, if you like). You never know how your garden grows.  If you want it SUPER spicy…  Just know that the more seeds you leave in, the spicier it will be.

But I like mine flavorful AND spicy---so I snip and trim and shake out a fair amount of the seeds.

Pop these into a pot, pour boiling water over them, put a lid on things to keep it hot inside-----and just let that sit while you turn the red peppers.

You’re going to end up with soft, fragrant chilies AND their cooking water.  Do NOT discard!  This is going to help you later.

Scrape the skins off your roasted red peppers, root out as many seeds as possible, and toss the flesh of the pepper with the re-hydrated chilies together in a blender or food processor with about a quarter cup of the chili cooking water. 

Now, chop two cloves of garlic and add that to the mix in the blender.

And here is where it gets fun.

Party In The Pantry!!!!

I’m fully aware that my food connections and simple lust for ingredients has possibly made my spice cabinet a bit different from the average person’s larder…

My spice cabinet is like the hull of a Dutch East India ship in the 1700s---without the slaves and smallpox, of course.  Just lots and lots of spices!

Here's what I added to my mix:

Olive oil (about 3 tablespoons---need not be extra virgin)

Teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon of smoked sea salt

1/4 teaspoon of a dried chili powder called "sudanya".  It appears to be Israeli and was a gift from a friend.  I imagine cayenne would do in its place.

!/2 teaspoon of Dried Persian Lemon

What is Persian Lemon?  For starters, it's a lime native to the Middle East.  It's fermented and dried in the sun and often ground into a powder.  It has a sour, yet earthy taste that balances the brightness of the red peppers and the heat of the chilies.  

If you can't get your hands on some, it's not the end of the world.  But if you can find some in a specialty spice shop or online, don't hesitate to drop a few dollars.  You won't be sorry.

If you like more of a rough texture to your harissa, you can skip the food processor and use a big mortar and pestle all old skool. But I like mine creamy, so I blend till smooth. 

But feel free to play with the measurements and ingredients, taste it for flavor, and make it your own. It should be YOUR hot sauce.     

Keep refrigerated and it will last about two weeks.  Mine goes quickly as I actually have a list of people to text and let them know, "I made harissa today.  Saved you some.  Stop by my work tomorrow and pick some up, if you want!" 

You will never go back to Sriracha again!