Some of the Common flavors from Morocco are Spicy Harissa, Preserved Lemon and Olives so those are the flavors I need to put in this Potato side dish. It might be best at room temperature,  warm or heated. The salad will absorb much of the Harissa sauce but this recipe makes about 1/4 more Harissa than you need so you can either freeze extra Harissa or use for eggs or grilled meat. Or just reduce the Harissa ingredients by 1/4. The flavors marry better after a day. The lemon seemed slightly dominate on day one and I was going to change the recipe but by day two is tasted perfect to me so I was glad I didn’t change it.

Ingredients for about 6 generous servings

3 lbs red potatoes – peeled and cut in half

1 hot pepper cut in half long ways (to flavor boiling potato water)

3 garlic cloves (to flavor boiling potato water)

2 Tablespoons sea salt (for boiling water)

4 roasted red bell peppers – skin, seeds and core removed – peppers chopped (and use red pepper juice that came out of fresh roasted peppers) (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon cumin (for Harissa)

2 teaspoons caraway seeds (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for Harissa)

6 garlic cloves – chopped fine (for Harissa)

2-6 hot peppers – (usually jalapeño) (preferably red in color) (depending on the heat of the pepper and your heat tolerance) – chopped (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons tomato paste (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed) (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (for Harissa)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon course sea salt (for Harissa)

8 green olives -preferably a quality olive – pit removed – cut each olive in 4 pieces

2 preserved lemons – scrap out insides and pith really well. Chop in small pieces.

1/4 sweet onion – chopped

1 celery rib – chopped

6 XL eggs boiled at a rolling boiled about 6 minutes, shell removed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Fill a sauce pot with cold water to a little over half way. Add the potatoes, hot pepper that’s cut in half (longways) 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion and 2 Tablespoons sea salt. Add water to cover the potatoes if needed. Bring pot to boil. Reduce to a medium boil. Wash eggs and place them gently on top. After 6 minutes remove the eggs and put them to the side. Let the potatoes go till just past fork tender. About 9 minutes more or for a total of around 15 minutes. The timing will vary depending on size of potatoes and your cookware.(among other things) When the potatoes are done scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a large bowl. Throw away the onion, garlic and hot pepper used to flavor the potatoes. Set the bowl to the side.

In your blender or blending bowl add the roasted peppers, sweet juice from the fresh roasted peppers, cumin, caraway, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, a few of the hot peppers (you need to taste when done and add more hot peppers at the end till you have it right), tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend it all up. Decide if you want to add more hot peppers and add them one at a time till the Harissa is the right heat for you.

Pour 3/4 of the Harissa over the potatoes. It might seem over sauced to you but it will soak in pretty fast. (Save the remaining Harissa and either freeze or use it on eggs or grilled meat.)  Add to the potato mixture the olives, preserved lemons, sweet onion, celery, cilantro. Mix. If you have very large pieces of potatoes break them up a little but not too much.

Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.

Top the potato mixture with the eggs and top with a light sprinkle of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Tasty and delicious!