Olive oil
2 cups fresh okra, tops cut off, sliced in half vertically
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and patted dry
Make the harissa vinaigrette by whisking together the harissa,
olive oil, and white wine vinegar. Taste to adjust.
Next, make the yogurt sauce by mixing together the yogurt, lemon
juice to taste, and pinches of salt and pepper to taste.
In a small to medium sauté pan (not nonstick), heat the olive oil
until almost smoking. When the oil is seriously hot, add the okra.
Allow the okra to cook for a few moments and then flip it with a
confident thrust of the pan (as one would flip an omelet) or, if that
scares you, turn it with a spoon.
When the okra is nicely browned all over, add the chickpeas.
Make sure the chickpeas are dry or everything will steam. Cook,
tossing occasionally with tongs, until the chickpeas get a little
color too. Season with a pinch of salt.
Spoon the okra and chickpeas onto plates and top with a
generous amount of both the harissa vinaigrette and the yogurt
sauce.
* Dale makes his harissa by soaking ½ pound dried red chili
peppers (he prefers guajillo) in warm water for 30 minutes.
Then he drains them, removes the stems and seeds, and purees
them with 15 peeled cloves garlic, 4 teaspoons freshly ground
caraway seeds, 4 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seeds, and