My first introduction to harissa, a Moroccan hot spicy paste, was in a cooking class by Marieke Brugman many years ago. Carrots are a popular vegetable in Morrocan cooking. Marieke blended sweet carrots with the spicy paste and vinegar into a puree. I’ve returned to this sweet, spicy and sour combination many times since. Below is a tweaked version of her recipe with a bunch of Torello Farm fresh carrots. When chillies are in season you can make your own harissa. Alternatively, you can find tubes of harrissa in the international section of the supermarket. The mash is great paired with lamb or as part of selection of vegetable dishes. 

serves 4- 6

1 bunch (500g) carrots, peeled or scraped, cut into 1cm wide rounds

150ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 teaspoon harissa

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup labne or Greek yoghurt, to serve

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, or coriander leaves

Place the carrots, stock and garlic in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Cover with lid and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, or until carrots are very tender and only about a tablespoon of cooking liquid remains. If there is too much liquid, remove the lid and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evapourated. Add the harissa, cumin, lemon juice and olive oil. Using a potato masher, crush the carrots into a rough mash texture.

Transfer to a serving plate. Form a hollow in the centre. Place the labne or yoghurt in the hollow. Sprinkle with parsley, to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Harissa

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon dried mint

250g red chillies, roughly chopped

1 head garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon sea salt

200ml extra virgin olive oil

In a blender, add coriander, caraway and mint and blend until finely ground. Add the chillies, garlic cloves and sea salt and blend until chopped. With motor still running pour inth eoil until a paste forms, adding more oil if necessary. Store in a sealed jar, covered with layer of oil in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, January 2022