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Really enjoying your food explorations.

My goto harissa recipe is from Depot's
harissa lamb ribs. That recipe makes a big batch, but I've found that you can portion it out & freeze it. Though I have a mortar & pestle, I find it easier to use a blender.

My goto harissa recipe is from Depot’s
harissa lamb ribs.

Oh, I like the look of that. Especially using all of the coriander.

Oh, that looks good! Harissa is definitely going to be a staple for me now, so Ill try that one next for sure. Thanks! :)

A Mortar and Pestle can be really cheap, troll the isles of one of the asian supermarkets and you'll see a few. You want something medium sized about 15-20 cm in diameter and with some weight so you can lean into it as you grind and the spices don't spill out.

BUT it can be hard work and it's much easier to use a cheapish coffee grinder one of the ones with blades that are useless for coffee but they work great for spices, they're usually about $50 but I'm sure you could find one cheaper. They're small enough to pick up and shake as you grind and it's lots easier than using a mortar and pestle :).

As for a tagine, they are pretty, but a slow cooker is just as good and much more of a multi-tasker than a tagine. If you have space in your kitchen (we don't) and lots of money to spend you can find some beautiful tagines that are as much art pieces as cooking implements.

Also you obviously already have a slow cooker but if you didn't I'd recommend the Breville duo which can double as a sous vide bath as well. Kind of ugly but works really well. Combined with a vacuum bagger of some kind you get a whole other range of cooking options.

I've always wanting to try sous vide. And I really want a smoker. And a pressure cooker. And a really good cast iron skillet. And ...
"Dear Santa ..."

Saffron in Te Pai Pl off Lincoln Rd is a great place to buy herbs and spices and dry goods. They have a huge range in bins. They also have Medditerranean foods.

I've always wanting to try sous vide. And I really want a smoker. And a pressure cooker. And a really good cast iron skillet. And ...
"Dear Santa .

A good cast-iron skillet can be had for not-much from camping shops, as can big hefty cast-iron pots with a lid for casseroling and pot roasting and baking pretty much everything.
For near a decade I had those plus a small cast-iron frypan as my only cooking pans and dishes: they stir-fried, sauteed, steamed, roasted, baked sticky crumbles, pies and cakes. The skillets have a choice of wooden handles or looped iron, which means you can use them as pie dishes.

Season them well, and they'll be your friend for years. http://www.caravancamping.co.nz/Our-Products/Family-Camping/COOKWARE/CAMP-OVENS/Camp-Oven-Cast-Iron-15L/

You guys are wonderful! Thanks so much for all the tips :)

Finally got around to making this. Made the harissa using the oil and chicken fat left in the pan after browning the chicken and it worked out well. Crockpot didn’t heat up well, so had to crank it up and the end to get it cooked properly, but it turned out okay. Went a bit light on the chilli and cayenne for my daughter’s sake, but she decreed it was the perfect amount of spiciness. Served on brown rice, with a side salad.