A taste of Egypt

Dukkah, a spicy mixture of roasted nuts, seeds and spices, originated in Egypt but has become a popular condiment that will enliven the taste and texture of many foods. It’s often made with hazelnuts, but other nuts work too. The texture should be coarse and crunchy, so use a food processor or a coffee grinder gingerly, so you do not end up with a pile of fine nut dust.

Store dukkah in a screw-top jar and it will last for three to four weeks.

Serving ideas:

Offer a bowl of dukkah and a bowl of fruity olive oil with drinks. Dip crisps, crackers or warmed flatbread into the oil, then the dukkah.

Crumble feta cheese over roasted or steamed vegetables and sprinkle dukkah over them.

Dukkah is delicious when sprinkled lightly over pan-fried fish just before serving. Add a couple of spoonfuls of dukkah to breadcrumbs when crumbing fish or chicken for frying.

Use as a marinade for vegetables or tofu and pan-fry in light olive oil.

Garnish a vegetable soup with a dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of dukkah. 15-18 minutes, ladling more stock in a large spoonful at a time, stirring constantly. You may not need to use all the stock, but the rice must be cooked until fluffy but not chalky.

Check the seasoning and adjust carefully as stock can be quite salty. You can add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to provide balance and enhance the flavours.

Stir in the roasted buttercup and parmesan over very low heat, taking care not to break up the buttercup pieces.

Melt the remaining butter in a small frying pan, add the sage leaves and fry until crisp.

Take from the heat and serve the risotto in bowls with fried sage and lemon wedges to garnish. l

Serves 4.

Wine match: gewürztraminer.