Harissa

For those who know me well, understand my love for sauces. I was always fascinated with unique spice combinations and how to use them. The normal super thick harissa we find in supermarkets made me think that it was only good for marinades. Then I tried the magic homemade one from Le Souk (unfortunately now closed!), which was punchy, light, fresh and much thinner than what I thought it was. Got a couple of inside tips from their team and made my own spin on their recipe.

Ingredients

• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks

• 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 3 red chillies

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest

• 100ml olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Instructions

1. Toss cherry tomatoes and red bell pepper in olive oil, salt, pepper

2. Place in 200C oven for approx 20 mins or charred

3. Dry toast caraway and cumin in a pan

4. Grind caraway and cumin seeds to a powder

5. Puree tomatoes, chillies, garlic, spices, lemon, and olive oil

6. Season to taste