Roasted red pepper and walnut dip (Muhammara)

1. Roast the red peppers in a 220 °C oven or over a gas flame for 25 minutes until the skins blacken; leave covered for 10 minutes to steam, then peel and deseed.

2. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and let cool.

3. Put the peppers, walnuts (set a handful aside), pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, breadcrumbs, cumin, chilli flakes, lemon juice and salt into a food processor.

4. Pulse into a coarse, slightly grainy paste, trickling in most of the olive oil.

5. Taste: it should be sweet, tangy, smoky and slightly hot; adjust with pomegranate molasses or salt if needed.

6. Spread onto a plate, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the reserved roughly crushed walnuts; serve with pita.

Tip: Muhammara (meaning reddish) comes from Aleppo in Syria, where it is made with the local mildly hot red pepper. Biber salçası (Turkish pepper paste) gives a deeper taste; if you have none, add another roasted pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika.