Muhammara

 

480–500g jar roasted red peppers in brine

100g chopped roasted hazelnuts

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ slice of white bread, torn into small chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

juice of ½ lemon

1 small packet (about 30g) of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

toasted bread or toasted mini pitta, to serve

 

Drain the roasted peppers well and then pat dry with kitchen paper to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Put the hazelnuts, garlic and peppers into a small food processor and blitz together. Add the bread, olive oil, chilli flakes and a generous amount of salt and pepper and blitz again until smooth. Decant the mixture into a bowl, add the lemon juice and parsley and mix well, then adjust the seasoning to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with some toasted bread or mini pittas.