Harissa

This African chilli paste is a sure-fire hit as a marinade for lamb, a spicy rub for barbecued fish or to pep up stews or soups.

Harissa is a traditional staple of North African cuisine, and like many other cultures, recipes and ingredients vary between regions and households. This harissa is hot, but not as fiery as many because we use long red chillies; to decrease the heat even more, seed some or all of the chillies as this is where most of the heat is found. We have marinated a lamb leg and roasted it in this recipe but it goes equally well with chicken, seafood and vegetables.

Green harissa, made from green chillies and coriander, is ideal for barbecued meats, especially chicken. Rose harissa, made from tomatoes, red chillies and smoked paprika, as well as dried rose petals and rosewater, works well with seafood. The fragrant rose balances the heat of the chillies.