Heat from chile's
Anchos: The basic, dense, fruity but mild heat. Ideal for Sauces
Guajillos: Light and hot, super fruity. Nice for sauces but not a lot of density. You can substitute 2 anchos to 1 guajillo.
De Arbol: Very hot. Mostly for salsas. (Can substitute with red pepper flakes which are primarily cayenne chiles. Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon would be equal to about 1 whole arbol chile.)
Cascabel: No real heat but great nutty flavor. Mostly used for salsas. (You could also use cayenne, but you will need less because cayennes are hotter.)
What you need
2 whole roasted red peppers seeds removed
2 dried ancho chilies
1 dried chile de arbol*
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 cup boiling water
1 clove garlic peeled + smashed
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Place the dried chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over top the chiles. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes until the chiles are softened. Reserve chile water.
- Once chiles are softened, cut top off the chiles and remove the seeds from inside. Add to the bowl of a food processor or blender, along with the chipotle chiles in adobo, garlic and lemon juice.
- Purée, slowly pouring in the olive oil to thicken the sauce. If desired add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved chile water to thin the sauce a bit (I did not do this). Season to taste with salt and extra lemon juice.
The Harissa will keep refrigerated for a few weeks.
To roast your own red peppers you can either broil them in the oven or place them directly on a gas top burner and char all sides of the pepper. Once all sides are charred remove the pepper from the broiler or stove top and place in a bowl and cover. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, remove and peel the charred parts away. Slice and use.