Muhammara

We were in a ferry terminal saying goodbye to departing friends. We decided to grab a last meal together before parting ways, so we sweet-talked our way past the ticket barriers to the terminal cafeteria. “What’s good tonight, Ibrahim Bey?” I asked the chef. For Ibrahim was one of our best-ever discoveries.

Ibrahim Bey is one of the most adventurous chefs I have come across in Turkey. Unlike many of his profession in this country, he enjoys experimenting with different recipes from regions all over Turkey. And my goodness, he’s good. I’ve never understood why a man of his creative talents has never aspired to anything more than a ferry terminal cafeteria. Perhaps someday he will. But for now, we enjoy his good food while we can.

“The muhamarra is good.” Ibrahim informed us, his eyes twinkling. “Muh-sorry-what??” “It’s a dip.” He explained simply. “Try it. You’ll like it.”

It seems such a let-down to call this mezze a ‘dip’. Because it’s so much more than that – an explosion of spice and sweetness. A taste of sweet red pepper and walnut, of olive and pomegranate and spices - of all the things that make the Middle East taste wonderful. The preparation could hardly be quicker – simply throw everything in a food processor and hit ‘blend.’ But for best effect, leave the muhamarra in the fridge for a few hours before serving for the flavours to fully develop.

½ cup sweet pepper paste

½ cup tomato paste

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup (110g) crumbed walnuts

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (or substitute with 1 teaspoon lemon juice)

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in the order listed into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Cover and refrigerated 3 hours before serving.

#muhammura #dip #pomegranite