Harissa

Harissa is a staple in the North African, and more specifically the Tunisian, diet. It is used to add both flavour and colour to many preparations. Harissa is a counterpart to an Asian sambal, although very much hotter on the palate as it has not been mellowed by cooking or had the addition of sugar. It has a fiery taste and is traditionally served as a condiment, like a relish. It is great with oil and a little lemon juice for dipping bread, for mixing with olives, to enhance salads or soups and cooked fish and meats, as well as being an automatic addition to any cous cous preparation. As with all chilli preparations, test the water first - taste - and then use harissa accordingly. The heat of the relish can be varied according to the type of dried chillies used in the preparation. I use the larger dried Chinese or New Mexican chillies, but if you want to give it an extra kick, add a few dried birds-eye or other small Asian chillies, or the fiery habaneros.