Hazelnut Dukkah

By no means do we take credit for Dukkah- its origins are deeeep! Ancient Egyptian deep! But its existence is (deeply) appreciated. Dukkah is a fragrant blend of nuts, seeds and toasted spices. It’s commonly served with bread or raw vegetables and olive oil for dipping, but its uses are extensive (and its ingredients are adaptable!).

A crunchy, crumbly blend, it can be sprinkled over all kinds of dishes, used to create a flavoursome crust on breaded things, mixed into salads etc. It’s a flavour bomb- and smells amazing.

Below is how I tend to make it- but you can adjust (try different nuts, ground spices instead of whole, more spice) depending on what you already have on hand!

• 1 cup hazelnuts

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tsp coriander seeds

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• a few cranks black pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Put hazelnuts on a tray and put in oven to toast for 10-15 minutes. They should be starting to brown and be fragrant.

Let cool briefly, then place them in a clean, folded tea towel and rub vigorously! This should remove the majority of the skin, which is too bitter.

Set a frying pan over medium heat and, once hot, put in the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds. Toast for 2-3 minutes, until they start to become fragrant, then add the sesame seeds and smoked paprika. Toast for another 1-2 minutes, frequently agitating the pan until the sesame seeds are golden.

Put everything, salt and pepper included, in a food processor or pestle and mortar and pulse (or grind) until the hazelnuts are in small, coarse pieces. Don’t let it become a powder, you want the chunky, crunchy texture!

Taste and adjust salt levels if you want. Then immediately find something to dip into it :)