We’ve had a few warm, sunny days in New York now, and I’m getting used to it, which is probably a bad idea. I know I’m jumping the gun, but I just can’t help myself: little warmth and sunshine, and my California mind races to things like unpacking my shorts and flip-flops, planting the vegetable garden, running on the beach, teaching Julia to swim and firing up the grill. It’s too soon for all that, of course, but it’s a good time to start planning.
We entertain a lot in the summer in Southampton, and this year I’ve resolved to spend less time in the kitchen and more time on the beach with Julia. To accomplish that, I need to find quick ways to give extraordinary flavor to easy meals built around grilled meat, fish and poultry. I’ve found that great tools for that task are special condiments –sauces, spreads and relishes that are packed with flavor, have many uses and can be made well in advance and added on the fly to transform simple dishes.
Here’s a favorite of mine. Harissa is a thick sauce –a paste really– made primarily from red chiles and widely used in North African cuisine to flavor everything from roasted goat to chickpea soup. Its flavor varies greatly from region to region and household to household: some are simple and fiery hot, and others are mellower and more complex. This Harissa is influenced by the flavors of Californian and Mexican cuisine, and is far to the mellow and complex end of the spectrum. Its flavor is deep, rich and smoky, with just a hint of heat. It almost tastes of chocolate, although it contains none. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it.)
A dollop of this Harissa transforms a simple grilled ribeye, rack of lamb or tuna steak into something memorable. It’s also an excellent marinade for grilled chicken. Mix it with mayonnaise, and it makes a chicken breast sandwich subtly special. Harissa mayonnaise is also delicious smeared on a burger, or served to the side of fries or roasted potatoes. Harissa is also wonderful stirred into soups and stews, but more on that later.
There are good commercial prepared Harissas on the market, but a recent taste test I conducted confirmed that there were a lot of really bad ones too. If you’re buying Harissa, I recommend the brands packed in glass jars. Mustapha’s Moroccan is a good basic Harissa and is widely available online and in good supermarkets and specialty stores. I would avoid the less expensive brands packed in cans and tubes as they tend to have a thin metallic taste.
Invest a half hour in making your own, though. The flavor will surpass anything from a jar and give you many memorable meals.
Recipe
(inspired by Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin)
Ingredients
6 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon for squeezing
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground pepper
Instructions
1. Dry roast the chiles in a skillet over medium high heat until they blister and curl, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Place the hot chiles in a medium-sized bowl and cover with very hot tap water. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.
3. Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they darken slightly and give off an aroma but aren’t smoking. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and roughly crush them. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can crush them under a rolling pin.)
4. Over medium heat, add the tomato to the pan and saute until the juices are mostly evaporated and it’s slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes.
5. Drain the chiles and place them and all other ingredients except the olive oil and lemon into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add a few grinds of black pepper and process until smooth.
6. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until it’s fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, process to blend, and then taste and add salt or lemon juice, as necessary.
Serve immediately or store, covered and refrigerated, for future use.
