Spread Some Excitement

Whether sweet, sour, spicy or a tad salty, condiments have added flavor and flare to food for countless centuries.   While the most familiar – ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise – still bring pleasure to the palate, there is a wealth of unusual seasonings available to add to your plate.  Everything from complex chutneys to simple, pureed tapenades now brighten the blandest of meals.

One of the fieriest condiments has to be harissa.  A staple in North African kitchens, this crimson sauce consists of hot chilies, garlic, cumin, caraway seeds and sea salt.   As an indicator of just how spicy it can be, commercially produced harissa comes in cans and jars bearing pictures of a volcano erupting.    

To make harissa, dried, red chili peppers are soaked and then, using a mortar and pestle, pounded into a paste.  A few cloves of garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and several teaspoons of caraway and cumin seeds join the pulverized peppers under the pestle.  A touch of olive oil occasionally moistens the ingredients.

Usually harissa accompanies couscous.   In Tunisia, though, it’s used as a sandwich spread.  It also tops vegetables and seafood, giving both an extra kick.  Some cooks add a little yogurt to their harissa and serve it as a dip.

If harissa sounds too searing, consider another, milder North African offering, chermoula.  It starts with a base of cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil but can go on to include ginger, red pepper oil, saffron, paprika, cayenne and even vinegar.  Every country and cook in North Africa seems to have a unique chermoula recipe.

Unlike the multipurpose harissa, chermoula primarily serves one role – to enliven the taste of fish and shellfish.  It does this by acting as a marinade for firm, white-fleshed fish or as a cold sauce for fried fish and shellfish.  

When used as a marinade, the ingredients should either be processed with a little water in a food processor or pounded, also with water, in a mortar and pestle to produce a crunchy paste.  For a cold sauce, roughly chop and then briefly refrigerate the ingredients.  In either form chermoula can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.

From the East Indian word “chatni” comes chutney, a tangy condiment featuring minced herbs, fruits, vegetables and spices.  Freshly prepared for each meal, chutney appears alongside curries, as a spread for bread, as a topping for cheese and as a flavor enhancer for milder dishes such as rice and dals.

The ingredients in this sauce vary according to region and personal taste.  In Southern India creamy coconut is all the rage while in Western India spicy herb reigns supreme.  Whether from ripe or green tomatoes, tomato chutney is a hit across the country as is the silky, piquant tamarind chutney.        

Of the myriad of chutneys produced and consumed, only one has become an international sensation – the sweetly tart and chunky mango chutney.  Made from green mangoes, ginger, raisins, vinegar and an assortment of spices, this condiment was initially served fresh in India.  However, once British colonists became smitten with it, Indian cooks began to preserve, can, and ship this ambrosial, jam-like relish to Great Britain.

The mango craze spread throughout the United Kingdom and then infiltrated farther shores.  Walk down the ethnic food aisle of any grocery store and you’re bound to see at least three different brands of mango chutney.  It’s delectable and everywhere.    

Less ubiquitous but no less delicious is Provence’s strong, salty tapenade.  Based on the French word for “capers,” tapenade resembles a thick, dark paste of pureed capers, black olives, anchovies and olive oil.  It may also include such optional items as garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and tuna.      

In Southern France cooks slather tapenade over crisp baguettes and serve it as an hors d’oeuvre.  Elsewhere tapenade tops seared fish steaks, grilled vegetables, crackers or warm pita bread.  It also acts as a flavorful stuffing for oven-roasted tomatoes and works as a savory spread for grilled fish sandwiches.     

Tapenade couldn’t be easier to make.  Either pound together the capers, olives, and anchovies or process them all in a food processor, add a little olive oil to moisten the mixture and serve.  Tightly covered and refrigerated, tapenade will keep for two weeks.  

When contemplating how to jazz up lunch or dinner offerings, consider spicing up your dishes with an exotic condiment.  Chermoula, harissa, chutney and tapenade all add a little zing to the commonplace.