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Roast Red Pepper Dip with Lemon and Olive Salsa

This is loosely based on the Middle Eastern red pepper dip muhamarra. The addition of feta makes it creamy and more complex, and I amplify this even further with chopped fresh lemon and olive salsa. It’s delightfully not for the faint-hearted. Serve with bread or crudite, as a starter or as part of a meze spread.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients

  • 5 (600g net weight / about 1lb 5oz) red peppers quartered lengthways, stem, pith and seeds discarded
  • 2-3 (300g / about 10½oz) vine tomatoes halved
  • 1 red chilli stem removed
  • 1 red onion peeled and cut into 6 wedges
  • 90 ml / 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt and black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 60 g / ½ cup blanched almonds well toasted and roughly chopped
  • 150 g / 5oz greek feta roughly crumbled
  • 1 Tbsp cumin seeds toasted and roughly crushed in a mortar
  • 1 Tbsp coriander seeds toasted and roughly crushed in a mortar
  • 1 lemon segmented
  • 50 g / ⅓ cup pitted green olives roughly chopped
  • 1½ Tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Roast the Vegetables: Heat the oven to 240℃ (220℃ fan)/465℉. Put the pepper quarters, tomatoes, chilli, onion, two tablespoons of oil, a half-teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper on a large oven tray lined with baking paper and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes, give everything a stir, then add the garlic cloves and roast for 15-20 minutes more, or until everything is softened and coloured.
  • Peel and Cool: Leave to cool, then peel the peppers and tomatoes, and discard the skins.
  • Blend the Dip: Transfer everything to a food processor, add the almonds, feta, half the ground toasted spices, two tablespoons more of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and blitz smooth. Refrigerate to cool completely (and set slightly).
  • Make the Salsa: Using a small, sharp knife, trim the top and tail off the lemon. Cut down along its round curves, removing the skin and white pith as you go. Release the segments from the lemon by slicing between the membranes, then roughly chop each segment in two or three pieces.
    In a bowl, combine lemon pieces with olives, coriander/cilantro, the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil and the remaining ground toasted spices.
  • Serve: Spread the dip on to a wide, shallow plate and spoon the salsa into the centre.