Rose Harissa is a gourmet paste that has the inclusion of rose petals, giving a deep colour as well as offsetting the unnecessary burn of the chilli.
The result? One seriously flavoursome paste which retains a good kick!
There are a number of recipes that you could follow to make your own Harissa, but they're all pretty much grinding down chillis, garlic, herbs and spices down in a pestle and mortar, adding in rose petals, grinding some more and softening it all up with oil.
I buy mine. I like the Belazu brand: "Rose petals are one of over forty spices added to give this paste its unique aroma and complex, yet unmistakably spicy, taste. Harissa was originally a staple of Tunisian cooking but is used throughout North Africa as a seasoning or condiment. It has a hot kick to it but the rose petals in the sauce provide a unique balance to the chilli heat."
Harissa can be spread over meat and roasted, added to soups and stews, spread over flat bread, the options almost limitless.
Here, we're going to combine it with yoghurt and marinate some chicken ...
Prepare the previous day.
Cut a couple of chicken breasts or thighs into pieces and place in a dish, cover with natural yoghurt that has been mixed with a couple of tablespoons of harissa and leave overnight to marinate.
The yoghurt will tenderise the chicken resulting in a soft, sumptuous dish.
Roughly chop an onion and place into an oven proof dish, spooning the chicken and yoghurt over.
Cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 200C.
Serve out over cauliflower couscous - heads of cauliflower grated and dried out slightly in the oven.
