flipHomemade Harissa with Olive Oil
Homemade Harissa with Olive Oil
Why this dish? Harissa is the flavor signature that Gisèle Halimi carried in her memory when she left Tunisia: that Mediterranean red fire present at every meal, prepared in large quantities and preserved under oil.
A paste of rehydrated dried red chilies, ground with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt, mounted with olive oil. Spicy, fragrant, slightly acidic. The condiment that enlivens the entire Tunisian table.
A kitchen without harissa, at home, was no kitchen at all. We dried the chilies in the sun on the terraces, then pounded them for a long time in a mortar with the garlic, caraway and salt, until we got a smooth, burning paste. You cover it with a finger of olive oil in its pot, and it keeps for weeks. A dab is enough to wake up a bland dish — like a good argument wakes up a sleepy court.
- •Dried red chilies — a good handful (base of the condiment)
- •Garlic — one head (aromatic)
- •Caraway seeds — a spoonful (signature spice)
- •Coriander seeds — a spoonful (spice)
- •Salt — generous (seasoning and preservation)
- •Olive oil — enough to cover (binder and preservation)
Homemade Harissa with Olive Oil
A paste of rehydrated dried red chilies, ground with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt, mounted with olive oil. Spicy, fragrant, slightly acidic. The condiment that enlivens the entire Tunisian table.
Why this dish? Harissa is the flavor signature that Gisèle Halimi carried in her memory when she left Tunisia: that Mediterranean red fire present at every meal, prepared in large quantities and preserved under oil.
A kitchen without harissa, at home, was no kitchen at all. We dried the chilies in the sun on the terraces, then pounded them for a long time in a mortar with the garlic, caraway and salt, until we got a smooth, burning paste. You cover it with a finger of olive oil in its pot, and it keeps for weeks. A dab is enough to wake up a bland dish — like a good argument wakes up a sleepy court.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried red chilies — a good handful (base of the condiment)
- Garlic — one head (aromatic)
- Caraway seeds — a spoonful (signature spice)
- Coriander seeds — a spoonful (spice)
- Salt — generous (seasoning and preservation)
- Olive oil — enough to cover (binder and preservation)
Ingredients
- Dried mild red chilies (e.g., Nora) + a few hot chilies — 80 g (base)
- Garlic — 5 cloves (aromatic)
- Caraway seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Coriander seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning / preservation)
- Olive oil — 80 ml + a film to cover (binder and preservation)
- Lemon juice — 1 tsp (acidic touch (optional))
Method
- Stem and seed the dried chilies, then soak them in hot water for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Briefly dry-toast the caraway and coriander, then pound or grind them.
- Drain the chilies and grind them (mortar or blender) with the garlic, spices and salt until smooth.
- Mount by incorporating the olive oil in a stream to obtain a supple, shiny paste. Add the lemon juice.
- Pack into a small clean jar, smooth the surface and cover with a film of olive oil.
- Store in the refrigerator; cover with oil after each use. Keeps for 2 to 3 weeks.
How it was made : Before food processors, harissa was made with a pestle, sometimes in large quantities at the time of the harvest of sun-dried chilies. The layer of oil on top of the jar prevented air and prolonged preservation. Each household adjusted the heat and spices.
The contemporary twist : A "lawyer's harissa": add a zest of preserved lemon and serve it in a dollop on an olive oil toast, a nod to the Mediterranean that Gisèle Halimi never left in spirit.
Sources : Tunisian harissa — national condiment (culinary tradition of Tunisia) · Tunisian Sephardic cuisine — preserved condiments
Gisèle Halimi · Charactorium
