Hamim (Red Pepper Paste)
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb. hot red chilies Aleppo if you can find them otherwise try Fresno’s, seeded and halved membranes removed
- 3 lbs. sweet red peppers seeded and quartered membranes removed
- 3 tablespoons course salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Parchment paper
- Cheesecloth
Instructions
- Coarsely grind the peppers in a food processor
- Toss with 3 tablespoons of coarse salt
- Spread the mixture out on 2 parchment lined baking sheets
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees
- Place the trays in the oven until the peppers are dry about 6 hours
- It will reduce quite a bit leaving you with about two cups
- Place half the peppers in a double thickness of cheesecloth and squeeze hard to emit any excess moisture. Repeat with the other half.
- In a food processor, blend the peppers with the sugar and half the oil.
- Add coarse slat to taste, it should taste slightly salty
- Pack into 2 small glass jars
- Top with the remaining oil, close tightly and refrigerate.
- The paste taste best after about 1 week in the refrigerator.