Muhammara and how to roast a pepper (if you didn't already hear.)

Muhammara

Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman by Blue Heron Kitchen

This sweet and savory spread from Syria and Lebanon is healthy, vegan and dairy-free. It’s a welcome dip-addition to the usual suspects: hummus, guacamole and salsa. It’s also a fantastic spread in a pita sandwich or on any flat bread, flour tortilla, naan or smeared on a baguette, then covered or enrobed with raw or cooked veggies of your choice.

Muhammara combines roasted red peppers, walnuts and  breadcrumbs with a brilliant combination of spices and sweet and tangy flavor of pomegranate molasses. Serve it at room temperature with warm pita bread, crackers or vegetables.

Pomegranate molasses is an essential ingredient. Click on the link for BHK’s easy recipe. Or buy it. I saw it at Fairway. Trader Joe’s has their own brand. Of course, any Middle Eastern market will carry pom-molasses. I use it on vegetables, in my salads and on yogurt.

Aleppo pepper is milder than red pepper chili flakes (and deeper and rounder). Penzey’s is a good resource.

I learned about toasting and grinding cumin seeds from my friend, Suvir Saran. Once you’ve toasted and ground, you’ll never want to roll your cumin any other way. Saran is a brilliant chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, teacher, farmer, bon vivant and his recipes are genius. Look him up and consider buying one of his cookbooks. I own and love all three of his books. 

Following this fantastic recipe is a basic (illustrated!) guide on how to roast a pepper over a flame (on your stovetop). If you have an electric stove, you can roast peppers in the oven on a baking sheet (cover it with foil). I take it for granted that everyone knows how to roast a pepper, but before I knew how, I didn’t know how. Whatever you do, don’t go out and buy roasted peppers. It’s so fast and easy and the result is superior when you roast your own.

Muhammara

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds (2-3 large) red bell peppers, roasted, peeled,

and seeded

1 cup shelled walnuts, toasted and cooled

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tsp. coarsely ground red Aleppo pepper (or 1/2 to 1 tsp. chili flakes (to taste)

1 tsp. well-toasted cumin seeds, ground (more, to taste)

¼ to ½  tsp. allspice (allspice is personal .. if you grind it yourself, you’ll love it more.)

½ teaspoon sugar (if you have rose-petal scented sugar .. I do .. use it!)

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (buy the Italian paste in a tube)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (more to taste)

1½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses (additional, to taste)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, (additional to taste)

Kosher salt, to taste

Procedure:

Place all ingredients in the container of a Vitamix or ‘power blender’ (or your food processor) and pulse, until mixture is uniform, scraping down, if necessary. If you like a coarser dip, don’t process too much.

Taste and adjust salt. If desired, thin out with a little more olive oil and lemon juice.

Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for serving. To serve, drizzle some olive oil, Aleppo pepper, pomegranate molasses .. one, a combination or all three.

Muhammara will keep in the fridge for a week or more. You can freeze muhammara!

Yield: approx. 2 cups

(Kalustyan's, located in New York City, is a fantastic resource for anything middle eastern or 'exotic'. If you go, try to pay with cash (there's a discount). Or, order from them directly. Click here.)

 

Roasting Peppers on an Open Flame

First, you take a chicken. Place a clean, DRY (preferably organic) pepper directly on the stove and turn on the flame.

Roast that pepper, turning it often, until it’s completely charred.

Put the pepper in a paper bag and close the bag.

Let the pepper sweat. Leave it. Walk away. Wait awhile. It’ll be easier to clean it and it’ll ‘roast’ some more while it’s resting in the bag.

Rip open one side of the bag and using your hand (or a clean paper towel), rub the charred skin from the pepper. Scrape the seeds from the inside.

DON’T take the low road and rinse the pepper. This washes away its character, its gorgeous smoky, roasted flavor. I’ve seen it done – in restaurants. Just don’t.

Voila!

Use your roasted pepper in Muhammara! 

Or: cover it with olive oil and some peeled and slightly smashed cloves of garlic.throw in a sprig of thyme (yum!). Or, simply cover with some olive oil and they'll be waiting for you.

Slice some into your salad, put some on your sandwich (with hummus or... muhammara!), toss with pasta  .. you're the boss Sergeant Pepper.  

peace and love,

jane