Out of Town (and Across an Ocean) - Tunisia

Tunisia is a modern Arab country with moderate politics located east of Algeria, south of Italy and west of Libya in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Even though they have been an independent country since 1956, French is still spoken by almost every citizen due to the fact that France was a protectorate for decades. Tunisia was part of the Roman Empire for a few centuries and it also produced one of the great military minds of all time, Hannibal Barca of Carthage. Roman ruins abound in this nation roughly the size of Georgia.

On a recent visit – okay, it was a vacation – I was reintroduced to harissa, that wonderful piquant condiment prevalent in North African cooking. It appears in some form at every Tunisian meal period and is an excellent accompaniment to soups, stews and curries. (It’s hot but not habanero hot; the harissa heat is short-lived and stops short of needing hospitalization.) I don’t think I ever fully appreciated this sauce; now I am one of harissa’s evangelists. I am reminded of the Brylcream commercial of years ago (Yes, I am showing my age – it was a hair gel – and no, I don’t have any hair upon which to use it); their tag line was, “a little dab will do ya.” Indeed, a little dab of harissa will do you – or any of your dishes – well.

Rub it on meat or chicken before cooking. Mix it with a little olive oil and serve it with any meal as something to dip one’s bread in. The other night I put chopped cashews, raisins, figs, black olives and tomato in a saucepan. I added a half-teaspoon of harissa (maybe it was a whole teaspoon) and I cooked it for 10 minutes while I broiled chicken breasts. I simply spooned my “chutney” over the chicken, served it with mashed potatoes and voila: I had a unique dish that my 16 year-old son scarfed down with his compliments to the chef!

If you go to Tunisia make sure you hit the medina (aka the souk or “the market”); it is there that you will find a vendor selling fresh harissa, canned harissa, or garlic, dried peppers, coriander, cumin and caraway to make your own. The stuff you get in a can in a supermarket or gourmet store is also fine and quite serviceable. I was fortunate enough to drive through a town where they grew a LOT of peppers just outside Tunis, and saw the peppers hanging out to dry. Quite a sight.

Tags: Algeria, Brylcream, France, Hannibal Barca of Carthage, harissa, Italy, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, Roman Empire, Tunisia