Red Bell Pepper Harissa Recipes

MOROCCAN RED HARISSA RECIPE

Steps:

• On a hot cast iron plate roast the peppers on medium flame until charred on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Once the peppers have cooled remove and discard the charred skins and core. You can keep the seeds and skins from the chile peppers if desired for extra heat.
• Transfer the cleaned peppers to the bowl of a food processor together with the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin and sea salt. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and adjust seasonings with more sea salt and vinegar. Serve next to roasts, steaks, dipping sauce or marinade.

MOROCCAN RED HARISSA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Char the bell and chile peppers under a hot broiler until the skins are evenly blackened. Place in a bowl and cover to cool to handle. Wipe the charred skins away with paper towels and seed the peppers. Reserve for later use.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat a bit. Add the garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, ginger, onions, paprika, cumin and some salt and pepper, and cook to soften a bit, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of vinegar.
• Place the peeled peppers in the bowl of a food processor with 1 cup of the stock, and process until pureed. Add the puree to the pan, thin with about 1/2 cup water and slide the chicken back into the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and finish cooking the chicken through. Turn off heat and cover until you serve.
• To serve, heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock (or 1 cup stock and 1/2 cup water) and the butter to a boil with the rice. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer the rice for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with fork.
• In shallow bowls, top the rice with the chicken in spicy sauce, garnish with scallions before serving.
• Get Rachael's shopping list for this episode's recipes here.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HARISSA

Steps:

• Cook garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium until garlic is tender, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, toast caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a dry small skillet, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool; finely grind in spice mill.
• Blend spices, garlic and oil, roasted red peppers, chile, vinegar, and sugar in a blender until smooth; season with salt.
• Do Ahead
• Harissa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

CHEF JOHN'S HARISSA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place red bell peppers with cut sides down onto the prepared baking sheet. Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard skins.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add Fresno and habanero chiles and cook uncovered over medium heat until vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes; drain and set aside to cool. Remove seeds and membranes from chiles (wear gloves); set aside.
• Shake coriander and caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat until you start to smell the spice, about 2 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to crush toasted seeds; add cumin, mint, and salt, and crush until finely ground. Transfer spices to a blender and add roasted bell peppers, chiles, garlic, lemon juice, and vegetable oil; puree until smooth. Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil at the end, blending for only a few seconds.

RED BELL PEPPER HARISSA

Steps:

• Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop peppers.
• Whisk tomato paste and vinegar to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil, the salt. Mix in bell peppers and jalapeño. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover; refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH GRILLED RED PEPPER HARISSA

Steps:

• Prepare BBQ (medium-high heat).
• Thread jalapeno and garlic clove onto metal skewer.
• Brush jalapeno, garlic, fish, and red bell peppers with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle fish with 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp coriander.
• Grill fish, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic until vegetables are tender and charred and fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side for fish and 8 minutes per side for vegetables.
• Grill lemon, cut side down, until charred, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer fish to plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
• Peel charred parts of skin from bell peppers and cut stem from jalapeno, and transfer to blender, discarding peel and stem.
• Add garlic clove, remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1 1/2 tsp coriander to blender. Process until coarse puree forms. Season sauce generously with salt and pepper.
• Place 1 fish fillet on each of 4 plates. Squeeze grilled lemon over. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.

BLACK OLIVES WITH RED PEPPER HARISSA

Steps:

• Drain olives, rinse under running water, place in large bowl and cover with fresh water; soak 15 minutes for canned, 4 hours for oil-cured, to remove excess salt; drain, rinse again; drain well.
• Toast cumin, coriander and caraway seeds in a hot, dry skillet to release flavor and fragrance, being careful not to scorch or burn them. Cool.
• Grind the toasted seeds fine; if using a spice grinder or coffee grinder dedicated to such purposes, add dried chiles here and continue to grind.
• If using electric appliances, transfer finely ground spices/dried chiles to a food processor or blender here; if using a mortar & pestle, continue with it.
• To ground spices, add garlic, salt, and fresh chiles, if using them; grind to a paste.
• Add red bell pepper and olive oil and pound or puree to a paste (your preference here, I like it rather fine); adding more oil, drop by drop, if desired for consistency.
• Taste and add a touch more salt, if necessary.
• In a large, nonreactive or non-stainable bowl, stir together olives and harissa; cover, chill and marinate at least 6 hours and up to a week before serving.
• For best flavor, bring olives in harissa to room temperature before serving.
• I have kept them up to 4 weeks (if they last that long!),well covered and chilled; with a layer of olive oil floated on top.