Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Share Posted March 29, 2006 I adore hot sauces, and I always have, even when I was younger. But I came by it honestly - I grew up with a mother who always carried a bottle of hot sauce in her purse. Even now, if we go out for dinner, I know a bottle of Cholula Hot Sauce is only a few feet away. (As an aside, I've been known to carry a travel pepper grinder, but that's a whole different story) Anyway, I love to try different hot sauces, and there are literally hundreds of thousands of sauces. Hot sauces are also extremely easy to make. This sauce, harissa, is a staple in North African cuisine. There are quite a few variations, but the base ingredients of dried red chilies and garlic are always present. This sauce can be used on virtually anything. You can use it as a hot sauce, or stir into rice or couscous for a great side dish. As for as heat goes, on a scale of 1-10, I would place this at a 7, with 10 being the hottest. You can always omit the cayenne pepper for a mild sauce. See the finished sauce at http://28cooks.blogspot.com Harissa 1 1/2 oz dried chilies 2 c boiling water 2 tbsp flour 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp caraway seed, crushed 1 c onion, finely chopped 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp tomato paste 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste 4 tsp lime juice Place chilies in hot water, and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Place peppers and water into food processor, and blend well. Set aside. Combine flour and next five ingredients. Set aside. Heat oil in pan, and saute onions and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add pepper/water mixture, and bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste and salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Place mixture into blender, and puree well. Stir in lime juice and store in refrigerator. Enjoy! Christiane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Share Posted March 29, 2006 Thanks, Christiane - This is a variation on Jim's excellent harissa which is in our Files - yours adds onion and tomato paste :-) I also see (to my pleasure) that harissa can now be purchased at our local supermarket in those tubes which we have long associated with tomato paste and wasabi - handy if you don't use it often, but want it often enough, eh? Btw, I don't recommend leaving out the chiles/cayenne - it wouldn't be harissa without it :-( (But of course, it is always an option to change recipes from their intent if one doesn't like them that way.) I use harissa on recipes from Morocca that are of the veggies and couscous variety. Excellent! If in doubt, you can always pass the harissa at the table - for the faint-hearted among your guests! Best love, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 I agree - I wouldn't recommend leaving out the extra heat either. But not everyone likes a really hot sauce, so the option is there! Christiane , " veggiehound " <veggiehound wrote: > > Thanks, Christiane - > > This is a variation on Jim's excellent harissa which is in our Files - yours adds onion and > tomato paste :-) > > I also see (to my pleasure) that harissa can now be purchased at our local supermarket in > those tubes which we have long associated with tomato paste and wasabi - handy if you > don't use it often, but want it often enough, eh? > > Btw, I don't recommend leaving out the chiles/cayenne - it wouldn't be harissa without it > :-( (But of course, it is always an option to change recipes from their intent if one doesn't > like them that way.) I use harissa on recipes from Morocca that are of the veggies and > couscous variety. Excellent! If in doubt, you can always pass the harissa at the table - for > the faint-hearted among your guests! > > Best love, Pat > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 [subject line corrected by moderator; excessive quoting of previous message deleted by moderator.] My husband and I thank you for the Harissa Hot Sauce Recipe. It is great....especially when our garden is full of chili peppers...... Aminah >Harissa >1 1/2 oz dried chilies >2 c boiling water .. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 > I agree - I wouldn't recommend leaving out the extra heat either. > But not everyone likes a really hot sauce, so the option is there! True, and that would be a good move for other lists. But this *is* a hot-and-spicy list! :-) 'Optional' heat doesn't really fit the theme . . . Besides, harissa is HOT! Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.