Three-way

The search for the next exotic hot sauce may well have landed in Northern Africa. Harissa, a traditional Tunisian red chili paste, has been popping up in contemporary cuisine a lot lately, lending complexity with layers of spices like cayenne, cumin and coriander. While chef Frank Brunacci’s lamb loin at Trump Tower’s Sixteen is Pennsylvania-farmed and paired with wild salsify and trumpet mushrooms from the Midwest, he reaches abroad to incorporate heat, plating the lamb with freshly made harissa. (401 N Wabash Ave, 312-588-8030.)

You might not think of TRU as a spot for fries and ketchup, but chef Tim Graham put them on his lamb dish just the same. The lamb is offered three ways: as sweetbreads, roasted loin and braised belly, while harissa shows up as a “ketchup” in which to dip the chickpea fries served alongside. To make the harissa, red bell pepper is cooked sous-vide then partially dehydrated to create a concentrated purée, to which cinnamon and honey are added to further trump plain ol’ Heinz. (676 N St Clair St, 312-202-0001.)

For The Drawing Room, consulting chef Shawn McClain created a “Greek salad” that fuses flavors of the Mediterranean region. Harissa is used as the basis for the salad’s vinaigrette, pitting a lingering heat against the mild goat’s-milk feta, briny black olives and juicy grilled shrimp. Visually, the smoky red housemade harissa adds brilliant color to contrast with the curls of cucumber and the preserved lemon. The latter gives that bright, citrusy note associated with Greek salads. (937 N Rush St, 312-255-0022.)