Recipes for harissa, a quintessential North African condiment, differ from country to country, region to region and even from one household to the next. According to Mehdi Boujrada, owner of Villa Jerada, every harissa recipe must have 3 overarching flavors: acidity, heat and fruitiness. His Moroccan-style harissa, based on his mother’s recipe, gets acidity from preserved lemons, heat from dried chile de arbol and fruitiness and a touch of sweetness from tomatoes. The addition of cumin and coriander add a subtle smokiness while mint adds a hint of freshness.
