Lorraine made this tasty dip from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe in his cookbook SIMPLE. Muhammara is a spicy Middle Eastern red pepper dip served here on a creamy butterbean mash.
For the muhammara, preheat your oven to 220°C (430ºF). Cut 5 red peppers, stems and seeds removed, into quarters. Toss them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread them on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes then add 8 peeled cloves of garlic. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes until the skin of the peppers is soft and starting to blacken and the garlic is golden-brown. Place the peppers and garlic in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, ¾ of a teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika, ¼ of a teaspoon of chilli flakes, 60g (2 oz) of lightly toasted and roughly chopped walnuts and ½ a teaspoon of salt. Process to a rough paste and set aside. For the butter bean mash, put 100ml (3⅓ fl oz) of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add 1 lightly crushed clove of garlic and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Fry gently for 3 minutes until the garlic begins to caramelise. Discard the garlic and remove and set aside the sprigs of thyme and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Put the rest of the oil in a food processor with two 400g (14 oz) tins of drained and rinsed butter beans. Add 1 tablespoon of water and ½ a teaspoon of salt and blitz until very smooth, adding more water if necessary. Spread the mash on a platter creating a rim around the edge and then spoon the muhammara into the centre. Garnish with the crisp thyme sprigs and oil.
michelle picker cooks 