Harissa

Our goal, when I opened the business, was to cater to culinary diversity. I often tell customers that if you see it on the food channel, you can find it here at Canandaigua Spice Company. One of the spice blends that has sold well for us is Harissa.

Most people think of harissa as a paste, but we make it in the powdered form. Harrisa is an extremely spicy chili paste used in North African cooking, mostly in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, although strains can be found in all neighboring countries. This fiery chili blend is cooked with vegtables and meat tagines [stews cooked in a tagine, a cast iron base with ceramic top that can be used over the open fire pit, on the stove top or in the oven]. I have also found it to be a great ingredient to Bloody Mary's!

If you want to try your hand at blending Harissa here is one recipe to try:
12-15 dry hot red chilis
2 cloves garlic
pich of sea salt
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp crushed mint leaves
olive oil

Slice the chilis down the centers and remove the seeds. Soak them in warm water until they are rehydrated. Drain the water off and place the chilis in a processor. Add the garlic, salt and other spices. Process untiol a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a jar and cover the top with olive oil. Refrigerate.

As you are making chili, pan frying chicken or making tomato sauce add a bit of Harissa to your dish, or use it as a finishing sauce. Add some into your morning tomato juice or to season homefries. Mixed with mayonnaise, this paste makes an excellent side dish for chicken and cooked meats, particularly lamb. It can be used sparingly as a marinade or served with yogurt as a sauce. This is a very versatile spice blend, and while it is hot, using just a touch can moderate the amount of heat in the dish.

Until next time.......
Michelle
Canandaigua Spice Company