While the classic recipe uses walnuts, I prefer the crunch of roasted hazelnuts. I cut corners by using ready-roasted peppers in brine. Muhammara can be used as a dip, a crostini topping or a sauce served either warm or cold, making it incredibly versatile.
SERVES 4-6
480-500g jar roasted red peppers in brine
100g chopped roasted hazelnuts
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
1⁄2 slice of white bread, torn into small chunks
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
About 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted bread or toasted mini pittas, to serve
- Drain the roasted peppers well then pat dry with kitchen paper to remove as much excess liquid as possible.
- Put the hazelnuts, garlic and peppers into a food processor and blitz together.
- Add the chilli flakes, bread, olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper then blitz again until smooth.
- Decant the mixture into a bowl, add the lemon juice and parsley then mix well, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Drizzle with olive oil and serve with toasted bread or mini pittas.
TIP If you can’t find chopped roasted hazelnuts, roast whole blanched hazelnuts in an oven preheated to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 for 8 minutes. Leave to cool.
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Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour will be published by Aster on 4 August, price £26. To order a copy for £22.10 with free UK delivery until 14 August, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
