Makes a generous 2 cups (500 g)

I ate this marvelous mixture—which is similar to a sunset-hued
tapenade, only sweeter—in southeastern Turkey every chance I got,
which was often. It is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, always
accompanied by the region’s pillowy bread. What I learned in Turkey
was that any cook worth his or her salt has a personal recipe for muhammara, of which each is extremely proud. Some versions are
spicy, some are sweeter than others, all are ripe and full with the flavor
of the region’s special bell-shaped peppers and crisp, buttery walnuts.
This recipe is an adaptation of one I enjoyed from the hands of
SerminOcak, the recognized matron of gastronomy in the city of
Gaziantep. Mrs. Ocak was asked by the mayor of Gaziantep to
prepare a meal of all the region’s favorite dishes, and this was among
the first (of dozens) she served. To make her version, which is more
vividly red than many, Mrs. Ocak uses her home-dried peppers, which
she reconstitutes overnight in water and then grinds to a paste. The
result of her care is muhammara that sings with the flavor—and the
culture and the wealth—of Gaziantep. On my last morning inGaziantep, my host, Filiz Hosokuglu, served
her mother’s version of muhammara. Darker red than this version, it
was heartier in flavor but equally smooth and delicious. We ate it on
fresh bread, along with a bowl of steaming coffee. Mmmm!
When I serve muhammara now, I offer it as an appetizer along with
raw vegetables and fresh bread. It is also wonderful spread on pizza
dough, which is then baked and garnished with extra virgin olive oil.

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ cups (175 g) walnuts
• 1½ pounds (680 g) red bell peppers (3 large or 5 small), roasted (Chapter Salads), peeled, and seeded
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¾ cup (60 g) fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground Aleppo pepper or mild paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and coarsely ground
• Fine sea salt

PREPARATION

1. Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse several times, until they are coarsely ground.
2. Add the roasted red bell peppers and pulse several times.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the tomato paste, bread crumbs, olive oil, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, cumin, and salt to taste.
4. Process to make a coarse paste, scraping down the processor from time to time.
5. Season to taste with salt.
6. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 1 week.

NOTE:

• Muhammara is very good served with Yeast Seed Crackers.
• The “green germ” of the garlic is the nascent garlic plant, trying its best to grow from within the garlic clove. When you cut a garlic clove in half, lengthwise, you can see the germ of the garlic. If it is early in the season—from the end of July when garlic is harvested, usually through October—the germ is barely formed, and if it is there, it will be the same color as the garlic clove. You don’t need to remove it, and can chop with impunity. When the germ is green, it should be removed because its texture is soft and can be stringy, and it adds nothing to a dish. Some say it can be bitter and can cause gastric upset, but I have never experienced either of these phenomena.