Sunday Times column: Dukkah

April 2024

I’m over the moon to tell you I have a new monthly column in The Sunday Times. It is called Three From One - a simple recipe at the centre of three others that use it to differently delicious effect. 

Click here to read it.

Here, for you - and every time a new column is published - the core recipe plus a bonus fourth recipe I hope you’ll enjoy - if you do, let me know below.

Dukkah

This earthy, nutty Egyptian spice blend is such an elevating friend to have to hand when you want to bring instant character and texture to a dish. Try sprinkling it on fried eggs, roasted vegetables, soups and stews, poached fruit and yoghurt, and using it as a dry dip with good oil and bread. It is brilliantly adaptable too: try adding a teaspoon of nigella, upping the fennel to 2 tablespoons, stirring in a tablespoon of dried oregano, or adding a good pinch of chilli flakes. Swapping the hazelnuts for walnuts or pistachios makes it differently delicious.

100g hazelnuts
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp sesame seeds (black or white)
A pinch of fennel seeds

Dry fry all the seeds and nuts in a moderately hot frying pan for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan once in a while, until the seeds are just fragrant. Use a pestle and mortar or food processor to reduce a very coarse mix, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in a sealed container, where it will stay fresh for at least 7-10 days.

Dukkah plum crumbles

These mini-crumbles make a quick dessert or a wonderful breakfast, and while you can serve them in individual bowls to add the yoghurt etc, I prefer to serving as a sharing dish on the baking tray.

You might be wondering whether you fancy cumin in with the sweet - and fair enough - but as with salted caramel, that hint of savoury works so well, especially with the yoghurt and molasses to settle it in.

There are no quantities below because (a) it would imply precision where there is little, and (b) you’d only (rightly) ignore them and use as much yoghurt and so on as made sense from the pic below. This is also very good cold.

Plums, halved and stoned
Olive oil
Dukkah
Yoghurt
Runny honey
Pomegranate molasses

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Place the plum halves cut side up on a baking tray. Half fill each pit where the stone was with olive oil.

Spoon enough dukkah on to each half to make a mini crumble of each half plum.

Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the plums are soft but hold their shape.

Allow to cool only for a minute or two, then anoint heavily with yoghurt, then Zorro generously with both honey and pomegranate molasses.