I had some dried chilies on hand so decided to make harissa. We all love spicy food and a little dab of harissa can turn even the dullest dish into a hot tamale. Should you have some extra dried red chiles on hand, here is my recipe. Don’t remember where I got it, but it certainly does the job up right.

½ pound dried red hot chiles, stemmed and seeded
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon toasted mustard seeds
½ to ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl with boiling water to cover by 1-inch. Set aside to soak for 2 hours, or until the chiles are very soft. Drain well and pat dry.
Place the soaked chiles in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the garlic and mustard seeds and, with the motor running, slowly add ½ cup of the olive oil. When well blended, add the salt and process to incorporate. If very thick, add the remaining olive oil to thin.
Transfer the harissa to a nonreactive container and store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 month.