Muhammara – The Ultimate Dip Made with Fire

Directions

1. The first step is to get a charcoal grill hot as hell and grill the peppers and chili until nicely blackened on all sides.
2. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid so it steams for about 15 minutes. This will help to remove the skin easier.
3. While you are waiting, lightly toast the walnuts in a pan over the fire until slightly toasted and set aside (be careful not to burn!). Grill the bread nicely on both sides and set aside.
4. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and seeds from the peppers. This is a great time to put fellow friends and family members to work if they ask 😉
5. When the peppers are peeled and the seeds are gone, it’s time to dry them off a little to get rid of excess moisture because excess water means less flavour. You can dry them off for about 10 minutes in the oven at 175C/350f or using a pan over the grill. Don't dry them completely, just until no more water is left on the pan.
6. Now add all the ingredients together and blend in a food processor using a spatula to scrape down the sides as you go. Depending on how much moisture the peppers have depends on how thick it will be. If it's too thick and doesn't blend add a bit more olive oil and if its too wet add a bit more toasted bread. Finally, taste everything together and decide if it needs more salt or sweetness from the pomegranate syrup. Garnish the dip with pomegranate syrup, olive oil, walnuts, a sprig of fresh mint and serve with tons of fresh bread. You can keep it sealed in a jar in the fridge for about 5 days.