Sauce Algérienne

I fell in love with sauce algérienne on a visit to southern France during which I randomly got a baguette sandwich out and about and discovered the beautiful taste of "Algerian sauce." I think people around the world have a tendency to think of their food, culture, et cetera, as static and pure until X, Y, or Z people showed up (to ruin it, of course!), when in reality food, culture, and people themselves are a constant, churning mishmash of everything. What would Greece be without Ethiopia's coffee? The USA without England's apple pie? France without Austria's croissants? (Or sauce algérienne!)

Sauce algérienne is obviously of North African origin, but quite popular in France, or was in the south when I was there more frequently than I am now. I used to pick up as many bottles as I could pack to take back to East Asia with me, but alas, now I have to make my own. What follows is my adaptation of this lovely recipe. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Sauce Algérienne

Ingredients

1/4 cup of mayonnaise*

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of harissa paste**

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon of sugar

Garlic powder (to taste)

Onion powder (to taste)

Parsley (to taste)

*If you use a vegan mayo, then this recipe can be vegan without any loss of flavor or loveliness. Use what you've got though, as always!

**This makes for a mild result (for my family anyways), so give your sauce a taste and add more harissa if you're wanting more heat.

Directions

1) Thoroughly combine everything and enjoy! This is my favourite sandwich spread, but it also works beautifully as a dip for fries, veggies, and a whole lot more!