Muhammara or Syrian cream of peppers and walnuts, the recipe that will transform your appetizers
Muhammara, or pepper and walnut spread, is a dish originating from Aleppo, Syria, that is typically served as a dip with flatbreads like pita. It's ideal for sharing with a cold beer as an aperitif, but it can also be used to sauce salads, fish, meat, vegetables, and more.
The original recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, but it's a difficult ingredient to find, so we've substituted it with honey and lemon juice. We recommend preparing it a day in advance; this is one of those recipes that improves with resting because the flavor intensifies and the texture settles. Needless to say, muhammara is even better with homemade roasted peppers, something that (as you know) is incredibly easy to do. Although, a good quality piquillo pepper preserve can be a more than worthy substitute. You can also adjust the thickness by increasing or decreasing the amount of walnuts. It's up to you.
To prepare this roasted red pepper cream, you'll need a blender. Since the desired consistency is quite coarse, a powerful blender, food processor, or anything like that isn't necessary. Simply roughly blend the roasted (and drained) red peppers with the walnuts, peeled garlic cloves, honey, lemon juice, ground cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Once the ingredients form a lumpy mixture, add the extra virgin olive oil and blend again until smooth. Now all that's left is to serve it, drizzled with a little extra olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt flakes, and chopped thyme (optional).
What to serve with muhammara or Syrian cream of peppers and nuts
If you serve muhammara, or Syrian pepper and walnut dip, with pita bread, olives, and a variety of crudités, you've got your appetizer sorted. All you need is a nice cold beer (or your favorite drink) and you're good to go. It's also ideal with grilled vegetables, meats, fish, and more.
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