Excerpted from Raghavan Iyer’s Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked. 

Morocco’s staple condiment, harissa (an aromatic chile paste used in North African and Middle Eastern cuisines), is my addiction. Typically made from an assortment of bell peppers, chiles, and spices, it provides a pleasing punch to many dishes. My version, with far fewer ingredients, delivers the same intensity, and its inclusion to drape boiled fingerlings makes this a much-talked-about dish at the table. Perfect for picnics and parties, this is a great stand-in for ho-hum mayonnaise-bathed salads.

Harissa Potato Salad

SERVES 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound fingerling potatoes (use a variety of colors, if available)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 large red bell pepper, stem, ribs, and seeds discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 fresh green serrano chiles (see Tater Tips), stems discarded, coarsely chopped (do not remove the seeds)
• Juice from 1 large lime (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1½ cups finely chopped scallions (green tops and white bulbs)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (see Tater Tips)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt

Instructions

1. Scrub the potatoes well under running water. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and put them in a small saucepan. Cover the pieces with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or knife but still firm, 12 to 14 minutes.
2. As the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, sprinkle in the coriander seeds, which will immediately start to sizzle, turn reddish brown, and smell nutty with a citrus undertone, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and chiles and stir-fry the medley to sear and blister the skins, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Scrape the pepper medley into a blender jar and pour in the lime juice. Puree the vegetables, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, to a smooth, bright red paste. Scrape this into a a medium-size bowl.
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander, giving it a good shake or two to rid the potatoes of any excess water. Add the potatoes while still hot to the paste along with the scallions, mint, cilantro, and salt. (The potatoes absorb all those incredible flavors far better while they are still warm.) Give it all a good stir. Serve right away or refrigerate the salad for later consumption.

About the Book:

Who knew a potato could ever taste so good? Raghavan Iyer, that’s who! A master teacher and beloved, award-winning cookbook author, Raghavan pays tribute to his favorite ingredient in a continent-by-continent celebration of the amazing potato. Its recipes, inspired by a diversity of cuisines and accompanied by enticing full-color photographs, feature scrumptious starters, like Ecuadorean Llapingachos and Sweet Potato Samosas. Hearty mains: Canadian Lamb-Potato Tortiѐre, Moroccan Potato Stew with Saffron Biscuits, Potato Lasagna. Plus rich gratins, a boundary-defying Mojito Potato-Pomegranate Salad, luscious sauces and condiments, and even desserts, including a decadent Chocolate Sweet Potato Pound Cake. Includes a guide to potato varieties, uses, and storage, plus fascinating stories in potato history for the truly obsessed.

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