Muhammara — Roasted Red Bell Peppers & Walnut Dip

Ingredients

• 4 Red Bell Peppers, charred and peeled
• 1½ cups walnuts, toasted
• ½ cup coarse breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more to finish
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Warm flatbread and cucumber spears, for serving

Method

1. Char the Red Bell Peppers over a flame or under a hot broiler until blackened all over, 15–20 minutes, then steam them covered for 10 minutes and slip the skins off. Drain them well; watery peppers make a loose dip.
2. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until they smell rich and darken slightly, 5 minutes, and cool.
3. Pulse the peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, cumin, lemon juice, and salt to a coarse paste — pulse, don't purée. Muhammara should have grain to it.
4. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil until it comes together into a thick, spreadable dip. Taste and push it toward more molasses if it's flat or more lemon if it's cloying.
5. Rest at least an hour before serving so the breadcrumbs hydrate. Spread on a plate, swirl a well in the top, fill with olive oil, and serve with flatbread and cucumber.