Secrets of the Best Chefs

Chickpeas and Okra with Harissa and Yogurt

Serves 4

Fire is your friend in the kitchen, and never more so than when

you’re cooking okra. Get your pan hot—hotter than you normally

heat your pans—and watch as that slime-monster of a vegetable

gets seared and golden brown on the outside. Make sure the

chickpeas are dry so they get some color too. The finished dish,

which gets topped with a harissa vinaigrette and a yogurt sauce,

looks a bit like patatas bravas, Spain’s famous fried potato dish,

which is often topped with a spicy red sauce and white mayo.

Here everything is a bit more wholesome but no less tasty.

FOR THE HARISSA VINAIGRETTE

4 tablespoons harissa* (either homemade or store-bought)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE

½ cup plain yogurt

Fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE REST OF THE DISH