Don your gloves, then place the dried chiles in a bowl. Pour a cup of boiling water over the chiles and steep for 30 minutes.
Drain the chiles, then remove the stems and most of the seeds (keep as many as you can take the seeds pack a lot of heat).
In a dry skillet, toast the caraway, coriander and cumin seeds over medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes, shaking occasionally to prevent burning. Cool slightly, then grind them in a spice grinder.
Place the chiles, ground spices, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse the processor a few times to mix the ingredients, then scrape down the sides. Replace the lid and, with the motor running, add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time. Aim for harissa that holds its shape on a spoon. Adjust salt to taste.
*Use a mix of chiles with different flavor and heat profiles. A good mix includes anchos, guajillos, ajis and smoky chipotles.
1 tsp. caraway seeds, toasted
1½ tsp. coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1½ tsp. sea salt
2½ to 3 Tbsp. good olive oil
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2009.