Author Notes: We’ve misunderstood mustard greens this whole time. (We were thinking greens, when we should have been thinking mustard.) Instead of setting them loose in a salad bowl and willing everything else to keep up, try capturing and channeling their heat, and bottling it — as mustard green harissa. Use it anywhere your food needs livening up. Terry recommends incorporating a few tablespoons when cooking couscous and grains, and using it as a flavor base for soups, stews, and marinades. We also liked it in dressings for roasted vegetables. Adapted slightly from Afro-Vegan (Ten Speed Press, 2014). —Genius Recipes
Makes: about 1 cup
Ingredients
-
1 1/4
teaspoons coarse sea salt (divided)
-
1
cup packed chopped mustard greens
-
3
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
3
cloves garlic, minced
-
1/2
teaspoon coriander seeds
-
1/2
teaspoon cumin seeds
-
1
teaspoon smoked paprika
-
6
tablespoons chopped jalapeño chiles (seeds and ribs removed only if you want it less spicy)
-
1
teaspoon red pepper flakes
-
1/4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
-
1
tablespoon minced cilantro
-
1
tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
-
1
tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
-
1
tablespoon red wine vinegar
-
2
teaspoons water
Directions
- Put about 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, then add the mustard greens. Return to a boil and cook uncovered until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well.
- Warm the oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
- In the same skillet, toast the coriander and cumin, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
- Transfer the powder to a blender (we found a mini-food processor works best). Add the jalapeños, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, water, mustard greens, garlic oil, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth.
- Taste and season with more salt if desired. Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
1 of 2
Photo by James Ransom
2 of 2
Photo by Paige Green