Harissa Paste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Remove stems from chile peppers and cut them in half. Remove all or some of the seeds if you want a milder harissa.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add caraway, cumin, and coriander; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Toss chile peppers, toasted spices, and garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil in a large baking dish.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until chile peppers are very soft but not burned, about 1 hour. Stir a few times to ensure even cooking. Let cool.

6. Transfer mixture to a food processor and purée until paste-like but still a little chunky. Season with salt.

7. Spoon into a sterilized glass jar and level the top. Add enough olive oil so the surface is covered and the harissa won't dry out. Seal and refrigerate.

Tips

If you make more harissa than you can eat in 7 to 10 days, the best way to keep it is to freeze it in an ice cube tray, then store the frozen cubes in freezer bags.