Algeria – Spicy, salty, and delicious!

We’re traversing the Tell Atlas Mountains in northern Algeria now. This vast range stretches from Morocco to Tunisia. Unlike the empty expanses of sand in southern Algeria, this is beautiful mountain country with a Mediterranean climate. Our camels look out of place in this almost-Alpine-like setting, but they are sure footed and reliable (but also perpetually grumpy).

We’ve been eating well of the local foods; more tagines and plenty of grilled vegetables, meats, and fish. Almost every meal is accompanied by a fiery, salty condiment called harissa. It is a mixture of fresh hot peppers, roasted red peppers, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and spices. It’s used as an ingredient in sauces and marinades and as a relish along side meat or fish; it’s sort of North Africa’s version of pesto. Depending on how hot your peppers are a little can go a long way, but be fearless!

This harissa recipe comes form my Modern Moroccan cookbook by Hassan M’Souli. I only made about a quarter of a batch. You’ll notice in the picture of the ingredients, that my cilantro looks a little odd. ...that’s because its basil. I forgot to buy cilantro, so I used basil from my garden; it worked fine. Also, the recipe has you roast and peel your own red peppers. I used jarred roasted peppers. Lastly, I did not have a preserved lemon, so I used the juice and zest from a fresh one.

Harissa

Yields 4 cups

1 lb small hot red chili peppers, stems removed

2 large red pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

1 preserved lemon

3 cloves garlic

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon salt

Olive oil, to cover

Mince the chilis, roasted peppers, preserved lemon and garlic by hand or in a food processor. Mix in the cilantro, cumin, and salt. Transfer to a storage jar and let stand for one hour. Then add enough olive oil to cover the mixture. It will keep nearly indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Figs are in season!

"I might try to plant a fig tree. A man's entitled to that, isn't he?" - Zefram Cochrane

Why?
I planted a fig tree in the backyard about four years ago (thank you Joanie and Lawrence!) and this year it is mega-producing. Our figs are a vibrant green tinged with yellow when ripe and have a gorgeous pomegranate-pink inside. They are delicious to eat plucked right off the tree. It reminds me of the farm I grew up on where we grew apples, cherries, apricots and more. They were so good fresh off the tree. Now, with such an abundance of figs, I thought I’d try them in a recipe.

What?
Last night I made Figs Wrapped in Bacon as an appetizer. I'd looked at similar recipes online and I created this one myself. I stuffed the figs with creamy, white goat cheese, wrapped them in bacon, and hit them with a little freshly ground black pepper just before they went the oven for a few minutes.

How much?

Figs – free

Goat Cheese - $1.80

Bacon - $1.00

Total - $2.80

The Recipe

Figs Wrapped in Bacon

Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-minutes

Ingredients:

6 fresh figs

2-oz goat cheese

3 strips bacon, sliced in half lengthwise

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees

2. Slice a fig vertically down to about the center. Stuff fig with about a teaspoon of goat cheese. Wrap the half bacon strip around the stuffed fig and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining figs.

3. Arrange stuffed figs on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Give each fig a grind or two of black pepper. Bake until back starts to crisp, 12 – 15 minutes.

4. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

The Results

As I mentioned, this was my first cut at this recipe. I think it worked pretty well. The warm creamy goat cheese blended well with the warm creamy fig. However, my figs are not really that sweet. The flavor contrast I'd wanted between the salty bacon and sweet fruit was too subtle. Next time I will try using a mild blue cheese. That should give the same creamy results but with some added flavor. To enhance the sweetness I’ll try a little honey on each fig.

End Note: I am also thinking about a “raw” version of this recipe using prosciutto instead of bacon and skipping the oven!