I’m so ready to heat things up in the kitchen, but opportunity hasn’t been knocking. It’s been too warm to start the soups, stews and roasts of chilly weather cooking. So, following on the heels of the preserved lemons and chicken stock, I’m continuing the theme of getting some basics ready for nippy nights. This time, it’s harissa, a condiment sometimes used in North Africa cuisine. In it’s basic form, it’s made with peppers, garlic, olive oil and a few spices.

If you read the LA Times, you will have seen that Amy Scattergood did a recent article on harissa. She suggests chipotles in her mix, call me a purist, but I completely disagree, this is not the place for their smoky flavor. Her recipe and many others call for caraway, but that flavor doesn’t remind me of the harissa in the couscous restaurants in Paris I used to go to with my friends when I was a poor student in Paris, so I leave it out. I also find that too much raw garlic is too strong (and I’m not one to skimp on the garlic), so I only use two cloves. Trust me on this one.

The word harissa in Arabic means to crush, and it’s traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor. Harissa is used in all sorts of ways in North African cuisine. It’s a must when making "un grand couscous," a meal of couscous grains topped with a stew of vegetables and meats. The stew itself is full of flavor, but the harissa adds a tangy garlicky heat that this dish really needs. Plus, it’s useful that the heat is added by each person at the table; it makes it easier to feed kids and adults the same thing and you also don’t have to worry about the guest who doesn’t like spicy food. You can serve this along with a chicken breast, with some grilled lamb, put a dollop of it in some soup or lentils, put it on potatoes or eat it like in the Maghreb spread on a piece of bread. Or just do like me and make it ahead of time and wait to steam up the kitchen another day. I’ll put up the couscous recipe sometime between now and the first big frost.

harissa

• 6 oz. dried chiles (guajillo or ancho or a mix), stemmed and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 1 t salt
• 1 T coriander
• 1 T cumin
• 2 t cayenne pepper (start with this amount and add more if you like it really hot)
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for storage
• juice of one lemon

Put chiles in bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 1 hour until softened; drain. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add a little water if necessary to form a smooth paste. Transfer harissa to a jar and add just enough olive oil to cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 1 cup.