Don’t replace rose harissa with regular harissa
If, like me (and the rest of the Netherlands), you’ve been enthusiastically cooking your way through Simpel, Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook, you’ve definitely come across the ingredient rose harissa. Not easy to get hold of, but do your best anyway—it’s one of the best things you’ll ever bring into your kitchen.
If there’s anyone I trust blindly when it comes to flavor combinations, it’s Ottolenghi. A poached egg with mushrooms, oregano and cinnamon? It sounds strange, but as soon as you taste it, you wonder why you never thought of it yourself. So when Ottolenghi says you should use rose harissa, you really should use rose harissa.
Floral and spicy
Harissa is an Arabic chili sauce that is widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine. For rose harissa, the chili paste is mixed with rose petals, which give it an aromatic, floral flavor. The taste of rosewater can sometimes be a little overpowering, but that is absolutely not the case with rose harissa. At least, if you buy the right one. Ottolenghi recommends the Belazu brand (you can buy it here) because the quality can vary considerably.
Before ordering my jar, I had occasionally replaced rose harissa with regular harissa—you have to improvise sometimes—but ever since it arrived, I don’t want anything else. The first time I used the magical stuff was for this roasted eggplant with black garlic and rose harissa dressing. Before adding the harissa to the dressing, I took a small spoonful to taste, and my head almost exploded from the flavor. This stuff really is liquid gold. It’s spicy, sweet, fresh, floral—everything you want from a good sauce. Ottolenghi strikes again.
What goes with rose harissa?
So now you know what you have to do. Jamie Oliver uses it a lot too; in England, it’s much easier to find than it is here. What else can you eat it with? Chicken! This slow-cooked chicken with a crispy corn crust by Ottolenghi, for example, or this super-easy chicken from Jamie Oliver. Or stir a spoonful into your scrambled eggs or use it to marinate your fish. You won’t be disappointed.
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