Muhammara (Aleppo Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 240°C (475°F). Roast the whole peppers on a tray for 30 to 35 minutes, turning once or twice, until the skins are blistered and blackened in places.
2. Put the hot peppers in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes. Peel off the skins, remove the stems and seeds, and drain the peppers well in a sieve.
3. While the peppers cool, toast the walnuts on a tray at 180°C (350°F) for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Cool and set a few aside for topping.
4. Blend the peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, pepper flakes, cumin and salt in a food processor. Pulse to a coarse paste, then add the oil in a thin stream.
5. Taste and adjust the salt, lemon and chili. The dip should be thick enough to hold a peak, a little rough in texture, and balanced between sweet and sour.
6. Rest for 30 minutes so the flavors settle. Serve at room temperature in a shallow bowl, drizzled with oil and topped with the reserved walnuts.

Tips

• In a hurry, use a 350 g (12 oz) jar of drained roasted red peppers and skip steps 1 and 2. Pat them dry so the dip does not turn watery.
• Pomegranate molasses varies in sourness. Add it a spoonful at a time and stop when the dip tastes bright but not harsh. Gluten-free? Use ground toasted almonds instead of breadcrumbs.