Harissa Fish Pie Recipes

Steps:

• If you want spicy harissa, include the chiles' seeds; if not, slit them open to remove and discard the seeds. Tear the chiles into large pieces and place them in a medium bowl. Carefully pour 4 cups boiling water over chiles and set aside until softened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet and cook over medium heat, swirling the pan often, until the spices are fragrant and lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spices into a blender, add the oil, salt, garlic and lemon juice, and puree until smooth. Drain the chiles, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid (discard remaining liquid). Add the chiles and reserved liquid to the blender and puree on high until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Season the harissa with pepper and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and onions into a large roasting tin with 1 tbsp olive oil, most of the cumin seeds, 2 tbsp harissa and some seasoning. Roast for 35-40 mins, tossing once or twice until the veg is soft and charred in spots. Leave to cool slightly, then roughly mash together using a potato masher - you want to retain some chunks of squash. Stir through the feta and season with salt, if needed. The veg can be roasted a day ahead and kept chilled.
• To assemble, unravel the filo pastry. Brush one sheet liberally with some of the remaining oil, and keep the rest covered with a damp tea towel to stop it drying out. Drape the oiled sheet, oiled-side down, into a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the side. Repeat with another sheet of pastry, turning it by about 45 degrees over the first sheet in the tin, then again with the last two pastry sheets.
• Spoon in the filling, then pull the overhanging pastry up and towards the centre, scrunching it to enclose the filling. Scatter with the remaining cumin seeds and brush with a little more oil.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Bake the pie for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Meanwhile, mix the tahini with the remaining harissa, the lemon juice and 4 tbsp water, then season to taste. Remove the pie to a serving plate, slice into wedges and serve with sauce for drizzling over. Or, cool to room temperature first.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the lentils, peppers, olives, lemon zest, 2 tbsp oil and some seasoning in a roasting tin. Top with the fish fillets. Mix the breadcrumbs, harissa and the remaining oil and put a few spoonfuls on top of each piece of fish. Bake for 12-15 mins until the fish is cooked, the topping is crispy and the lentils are hot. Scatter with the parsley and squeeze over the lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the aubergines for 10-15 mins until golden and softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Fry the onions with the remaining oil for 7-10 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, 1 tbsp of the harissa and the coriander and cook for 1 min more. Return the aubergines to the pan with the tomatoes, lentils, olives and a can of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. Season, then stir through the parsley.
• Cook the sweet potatoes in a large pan of boiling lightly salted water for 15 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry, then mash and stir through the remaining harissa. Spoon the aubergine filling into a large baking dish, scatter over half the feta and spoon over the potatoes. Scatter the remaining feta over the pie.
• Heat the grill to its highest setting. Grill the pie for 7-10 mins or until the top is crisp and golden. To freeze, leave to cool completely before portioning out into small freezerproof containers.