Muhammara – Red Pepper and Walnut Spread

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. 1
   Char the peppers whole directly over the gas flame, turning, until the skin is black and blistered on all sides and the flesh is completely soft.

   Stove

   💡Charring directly over the flame gives the vegetables their smoky flavor; in the oven they soften, but the flavor is milder.
2. 2
   Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly and leave 15 minutes.

   Bowl

   💡The steam in the covered container separates the skin from the flesh, so it comes off easily. Don't rinse under water: the smoky flavor washes away with it.
3. 3
   Peel off the charred skin, remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and drain off the liquid.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 4
   Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat 3–4 minutes, stirring, until they turn lightly golden and fragrant.

   ⚙ Dry-Pan ToastingStoveFrying pan

   💡Toast over medium heat and keep things moving: nuts, pine nuts and spices go from toasted to burnt in seconds. Transfer to a plate right away, since the hot pan keeps toasting.
2. 5
   Grind the roasted vegetables in a food processor with the walnuts, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and chili, to a coarse spread, not completely smooth, and season with salt.

   ⚙ Grinding in a Food ProcessorFood processor

   💡Grind in pulses and stop while small lumps remain: good muhammara is coarse, not a cream.

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
3. 6
   Serve at room temperature with a little olive oil on top.