Homemade Harissa Spiced Mild Sausage Recipes

EASY DIY HARISSA PASTE

Steps:

• Add dried chilies to a mixing bowl or measuring cup and cover with hot water. (We used a mix of mild New Mexico chiles and hot peppers (chiles de arbol). Adjust the ratio to preferred spice level.) Once submerged, cover and steam for 15-20 minutes to rehydrate. Set aside.
• In the meantime, add cumin and coriander seeds to a small skillet and toast over medium heat for a few minutes, or until fragrant and they start to pop. Then transfer to a mortar and pestle (if you don't own one, just add to a food processor to mix later), and crush into a fine powder.
• Next add caraway seeds, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and salt, and mix. Then add lemon juice and vinegar and mix again until you've achieved a paste. Transfer paste to food processor and add the tomato paste. Set aside.
• Once chiles are rehydrated, drain and remove the stems and seeds (I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands), then add to food processor. At this point, all ingredients (besides olive oil) should be in the food processor.
• Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed until a smooth paste is achieved. Then stream in 1/4 cup olive oil while blending to create a saucier consistency (see photo). (Add more oil (or water) as needed until desired consistency is achieved.)
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon or vinegar for acidity, paprika for smokiness, tomato paste for depth of flavor, or salt to taste. If it's not spicy enough at this point, you can either add more chiles de arbol (rehydrated and seeds removed) or cayenne pepper to taste.
• Scoop paste into a jar to store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. If storing in the freezer, we recommend scooping into an ice cube tray, freezing, and storing in a freezer-safe container up to 2 months. Add cubes directly to warm foods (like stews or cooked sauces). If adding to cold foods (like dressings or dips), let thaw before adding.

HARISSA POWDER

Steps:

• Remove and discard stems and seeds from dried chiles. Slice chiles in half or quarters, if they are large.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add chiles and heat through to ensure all the moisture has evaporated. Remove and place on a rack to cool. Place cumin seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, and peppercorns to skillet. Stir seeds and toast until fragrant but not burning, about 3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
• Grind chiles and toasted seeds with a mortar and pestle into a coarse powder. Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, smoked salt, parsley, and oregano. Continue to blend until all spices are completely combined and pulverized.

EASY HARISSA RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak and prepare the dried chiles. Place the dried chiles in a heat-safe bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes until the chiles are tender and re-hydrated. Drain the chiles and remove the stems and seeds.
• Combine chiles with the remaining ingredients. Transfer the chiles to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade. Add the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, garlic, ground caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and a large pinch of kosher salt. Add fresh lemon juice.
• Make the harissa paste. Run the food processor, and while it's running, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil from the top opening. Stop the processor to scrape down the sides and run again until you reach the desired paste-like texture. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (remember that harissa paste will deepen in flavor as it sits in the fridge over the next day or two).
• Store. Transfer the harissa paste to a clean mason jar. Cover with a very thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, then cover the jar with its lid tightly and refrigerate.

HOMEMADE HARISSA SPICED MILD SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cut meat into 1" cubes.
• Add spicing.
• Grind, or double grind.

HARISSA & LAMB SAUSAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix together the lamb, harissa (see our recipe), spices, coriander, garlic, preserved lemon and seasoning in a bowl. Pummel it with your hands to make sure it's well combined.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour and lay the puff pastry on top. Cut it down the middle lengthways, then roll each piece with a rolling pin so each piece measures about 14 x 42cm.
• Divide the lamb mixture into four and roll each one into a sausage shape using your hands. Lay two of them, end to end, on one of the pieces of pastry. Brush some egg along one of the long sides of the pastry, just by the edge. Pull up the other side to encase the sausage shapes and press the sides together. Do the same with the rest of the meat and pastry.
• Cut each pastry parcel into four. Transfer these to a baking sheet, then brush each sausage roll with the egg and sprinkle over the sesame seeds, if using. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden.

HOMEMADE SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE (MILD OR HOT)

Steps:

• Place the pork and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed through the sausage.
• Divide the sausage into thirds, and form into 3 logs; wrap each in plastic wrap. Place wrapped sausage into a freezer bag before freezing, or store in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before cooking.

CREAMY SAUSAGE & HARISSA PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 8 mins. Push to one side of the pan.
• Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins into the centre of the pan. Cook for 5-8 mins until browned, squashing into smaller chunks with the spoon as it cooks. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Let the tomatoes soften for a few minutes, stirring now and then to prevent sticking. Stir in the harissa paste and mascarpone.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water in a saucepan following pack instructions.
• Drain the pasta, saving a mugful of the water. Tip the pasta into the sauce, add the parsley and stir together. Add a splash of the pasta water to loosen the sauce - it should be silky and coat the pasta without pooling in the bottom of the pan. Grind over some black pepper to serve, if you like.

HARISSA PASTE

Steps:

• Put the coriander, caraway and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and toast for 1 min. Grind in a pestle and mortar. Soak the guajillo chillies in warm water, then drain and remove the seeds (keep the soaking water). Put the spices and the soaked chillies into a blender with the halved red chillies, the garlic, coriander, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt. Add some chipotle paste to taste if you want a smoky flavour. Blend to a thick paste with a little soaking liquid. Put in a sterilised jar and pour over a little extra olive oil. Will keep chilled for up to two weeks.