Who would have guessed that I would find some of the hardest to find spices in the middle of wine country? I unexpectedly found some of the spices I have in recipes from Morocco, India and China that would have had to be especially ordered from the country itself. A trip to the Oxbow Market in Napa Valley was a worthy one just for having discovered the spice man. He has every conceivable spice a worldly cook could possible ask for. I found and purchased the Moroccan Aleppo pepper, Chinese Szechuan pepper, hibiscus powder, an authentic garam masala, Harissa mix, a very fragrant smoked Hickory sea salt and, on the house, a bag of Zhug, which the spice man mixes with olive oil and uses as a dip for bread. I can’t wait to go back and try another bunch of exotic spices.
The great thing about Whole Spice is that the owner himself, Shuli Madmone, attends to the customers. He is quite knowledgeable and even gives suggestions on how to use the myriad spices available in his shop. And he should know, he’s been in the business since he was six years old. This recipe was Shuli’s suggestion and now a part of my personal files.
Orange Roughy with Harissa Sauce
Twice now I’ve made orange roughy fillets cooked with the Harissa mix and it is the simplest and fastest dish I’ve ever made, and it is absolutely delicious. Simply sizzle an orange roughy fillet, seasoned with salt, in hot olive oil (medium heat). This takes about a minute or two each side, you don’t want to brown the fish because it will overcook. Place fish on serving plate, add about half a teaspoon of the Harissa mix to the olive oil and stir for a few seconds and pour over the fish. The spices will burn easily and turn black, you want the spices to remain red so a second or two is all you need. Drizzle fish with a little more olive oil.
Culinary Delectations 