Recipe Roundup: Red Chili Harissa Olive Oil Recipes
Most popular in North Africa and the Middle East, Harissa is made with smoked chili peppers garlic, caraway, coriander and cumin, and pounded into a paste. Harissa is quickly becoming a popular ingredient among American chefs! This oil has a definite, hot kick to it…it’s our hottest infused olive oil.
Try these recipes:
- Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto
- Harissa-Seared Scallops with a Mango Balsamic Salsa
- Harissa-Seared Halibut with an Heirloom Tomato, Basil & Wine Sauce
- Charred Okra with Tomatillos, Garlic and Sweet Peppers
Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 large orange sweet potato look for garnet yams
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp, divided Sigona’s red chili Harissa olive oil
- At least 6 cups vegetable stock
- Optional: 6 strands saffron for color
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup Sigona’s golden pineapple white balsamic or a fruit-forward white wine, such as Bell 2019 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Slice sweet potato in half and brush with 2 Tbsp oil. Place cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Flip and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until fork tender. Set aside and mash lightly with a fork.
- Simmer stock and saffron on low in a covered medium saucepan to warm it.
- Heat remaining oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, cumin and coriander. Sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until shallots are soft. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add balsamic to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits.
- When the balsamic is just about absorbed, add a half cup of warm stock. Stir the mixture as the stock is absorbed, adding more by the half cup just as the previous pour is about all absorbed. This is a long process and requires constant stirring.
- After pouring in 4 ½ cups of stock, test the consistency of the rice. If it is still firm, add more stock and repeat the absorption process until tender. If it is ready, scoop out the sweet potato into the rice, discarding the skin. Add the cheese, and use a fork to mash the potato to incorporate it into the rice.
- Serve risotto immediately, with additional freshly grated cheese.
Harissa-Seared Scallops with a Mango Balsamic Salsa
This dish packs a sweet heat made from a combination of our spicy red chili oil and our mango white balsamic — a combination inspired by the mango con chili treat. This would also work with shrimp or prawns. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 large tomato, diced (about 3/4 cup diced)
- Half an onion, diced
- Half a jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp Sigona’s Red Chili Harissa Olive Oil (it’s spicy!)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 8 large dry-packed sea scallops
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 Tbsp Sigona’s Mango Balsamic
- 1 large mango, such as a Keitts, peeled and diced (at least 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Directions: Stir together the tomatoes, onion and jalapeño in a bowl. Set aside.
Rinse and pat dry the scallops. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the harissa oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the combination is just starting to smoke, add the scallops, being careful that they don’t touch. Cook for just 1 minute 30 seconds each side, flipping once. Scallops should have a nice golden-brown sear that is about 1/4 inch deep on each side, and the middle should still be slightly translucent. Use tongs to transfer just the scallops to a plate; set aside, keeping warm.
Reduce heat to medium and add the balsamic to the skillet to deglaze. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the balsamic reduces. After 2 minutes, add the tomato and onion mixture; cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the mango and cilantro.
Serve the scallops with the mango salsa, either on the side or spooned over the top.
Harissa-Seared Halibut with an Heirloom Tomato, Basil & Wine Sauce
Tomato and basil is a classic combination, but we like to spice things up a bit with our red chili harissa oil. This oil has got a kick! See chef’s note if you want to take the heat down a notch. Inspired by Baker by Nature. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup Sigona’s Red Chili Harissa Oil, divided**
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 basket mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup white wine (or vegetable stock)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- About 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. wild halibut, cut into 4 filets about 6 oz. each
- Salt and pepper, to taste
**If you’d like to have just a hint of heat from the harissa oil, use 2 Tbsp harissa oil and 2 Tbsp regular Sigona’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. (If you don’t have an oven-proof sauté pan, omit this step and finish cooking the fish on the stovetop.)
Zest the lemon then cut lemon in half.
In a large, oven-proof sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the wine, juice from half the lemon and chopped basil; allow mixture to come to a gentle boil then turn off the heat. Use a rubber spatula to remove the mixture to a plate or bowl, scraping the pan clean; set tomato mixture aside.
Place the sauté pan back on the stove. Heat the remaining oil over medium. Season both sides of the halibut filets with salt and pepper and place them in the sauté pan. Cook without flipping for 3 to 5 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully flip the filets and then place the sauté pan in the oven. Allow fish to cook in the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remember the pan handle will be hot.
Use an oven mitt to remove the pan from the oven. Pour the tomato mixture over the filets, drizzling the liquid over all the pieces. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon half over filets, garnish the dish with the lemon zest and more basil, serve immediately.
Charred Okra with Tomatillos, Garlic and Sweet Peppers
This dish has a bit of a Thai twist to it, thanks to the lime zest and a splash of balsamic vinegar, believe it or not. Add in more or less crushed red pepper to your liking. Adapted from Cooking Light. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Mix it up! Add some heat with Sigona’s Red Chili Harissa Oil.)
- 1/2 pound okra, halved lengthwise, stems removed
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper or mini sweet peppers
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup peeled, julienned tomatillo
- Splash of Sigona’s Balsamic Condimento Tradizionale
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp. lime zest
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add okra in a single layer; cook, without stirring, 3 minutes or until charred.
Stir in the shallot and julienned peppers; cook for two minutes or until lightly charred. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomatillo, balsamic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat.
Stir in the butter, oregano, lime zest, salt and pepper. Serve.
