The other day we were at a little Lebanese cafe and one of the meze on special was muhammara. Mike and I devoured it in a flash. It was so good that I knew I had to make some at home. I’m not particularly familiar with Levantine food so I looked up a recipe by who I consider the king of Middle Eastern food, Ottolenghi. Even if you haven’t heard of Ottolenghi, I’m sure you’ve seen his cookbooks floating around. He’s a famous Israeli-British chef, most well known for his delis and restaurants in London.
A couple of years ago, we had a chance to eat at the casual downstairs at Nopi and both Mike and I really enjoyed it, but to be honest, I don’t remember what dishes we had. But, the magic of Ottolenghi is that you can create your own deliciousness at home. This muhammara was so easy to put together. We had it with pita chips and it might just be my new favorite snack!
Ottolenghi’s Muhammara/Roasted Red Pepper Dip Recipe
serves 4-6 as an appetizer
- 3 red peppers
- 50 grams, about 1 cup, fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried Aleppo chilli flakes
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 50 grams walnuts, about 1/2 cup, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to finish
- kosher salt
slightly adapted from Ottolenghi
Start off by roasting the peppers. You can either do them directly on the grates of your gas grill or you can do it in your oven using the broil function. If using a gas grill, place the peppers directly on the grate and turn the gas up to high and let the skin blister and turn black. Use a pair of tongs to flip and char evenly. If using the oven, turn the oven to broil and place the peppers on a tray, then on the rack closest to the top of the oven. Keep and eye on them as they turn black and turn, using tongs, as needed.
When the peppers are very soft, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or tin foil, effectively steaming them. Once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the stem, skin, and seeds.
Pat the peppers dry and place in a mortar. Add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, molasses, cumin, chili, and garlic. Use a pestle to crush, until well combined. Alternatively, blitz lightly in a blender or food processor.
Stir in the chopped walnuts, a large pinch of salt, and the olive oil. Adjust the pomegranate molasses, lemon, and salt, to taste.
Spoon into a shallow serving bowl and finish with olive oil. Enjoy at room temp.
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