Tunisian Carrot Salad with Feta, Olives, and Harissa
A simple taste of Tunisia
This is a fresh-tasting orange salad with a kick of heat and a classic Mediterranean flavor. Harissa is a traditional Tunisian spice mixture of ground hot chilies, coriander seeds, and various other spices, usually mixed with olive oil. I bought some homemade harissa at Kalustyan’s in New York, a wonderful store full of exotic spices and other hard-to-find ingredients. If you can’t find Harissa in your area, I’ve included a recipe for it below.
The recipe says to grate the carrots, but you can slice them different ways. I cut the carrots into rectangles and thinly sliced them on a mandolin.
Some very Mediterranean ingredients
 Grind garlic & caraway seeds to a paste |
 Mix in the harissa and olive oil |
Slice or grate the carrots into nice, even shapes
Toss with the harissa mixture, lemon juice, feta, and olives
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: The Essential Mediterranean
Makes 6 servings
5 to 6 medium carrots, peeled
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon harissa or hot red pepper paste, or to taste [See Recipe Below]
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped, pitted black olives, preferably dry-cured
¼ pound feta cheese, crumbled
Using the large holes of a grater, grate the carrots into a bowl. In a mortar, pound the garlic to a paste with the caraway seeds and salt. Stir in the lemon juice and harissa, mixing well; then add the olive oil. Beat with a fork or a small wire whisk to amalgamate and immediately pour over the grated carrots. Set aside at room temperature for about 30 minutes to develop the flavors.
Just before serving, stir in the olives and cheese.
For the Harissa:
Makes ½ to ¾ cup, about 8 servings as a garnish
15 medium to large dried red chili peppers
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
sea salt
4 or 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
about ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the chilies quickly in running water, then break off the tops and shake out the loose seeds. Set the chilies in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Weight a plate over the chilies to keep them under water. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes to soften.
Meanwhile, roast the coriander, cumin, and caraway in a dry skillet over medium heat until the aromas of the spices start to rise. Transfer to a mortar with a pinch of salt and pound to a grainy powder. Add the chopped garlic and pound to a paste.
Drain the chilies and discard most of the seeds and membranes. Using a spoon, scrape the softened pulp into the mortar, discarding the tough, papery outside peel of the peppers. Pound with a pestle to a coarse paste. Work in about ¼ cup of oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce should be very thick but easy to spread.
If you’re not using it right away, put the harissa in a clean glass jar, smoothing the top, and pour a little more oil over to seal it. It will keep, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 weeks.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
This sounds fantastic!