Charred tomato layered dip

Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves 6

I’ve always loved the concept of a sevenlayer dip (America’s Tex-mex-inspired creation that stars refried beans and sour cream among other things) but not the reality; it seemed to be style over substance, and, to be honest, not that much style. But who said the layers have to be true to the original? These charred tomatoes have an extra creamy base, a pickled apricot salsa and a harissa layer (all of which, apart from the tomatoes themselves, can be prepped several hours in advance and chilled). It’s messy and triumphant with bold flavours.

INGREDIENTS

For the pickled apricot salsa

– generous 1½ tsp

lemon juice

– 2 tsp maple syrup or

honey

– 50g dried apricots,

diced

– handful of mint

leaves, chopped – handful of basil leaves,

chopped

– 2 tbsp extra-virgin

olive oil

For the creamy base layer

– juice of ½ lemon

– 2 garlic cloves, grated

to a paste

– 150g cream cheese – 150g natural yoghurt

For the charred tomatoes

– 500g cherry tomatoes

on the vine

– 125g feta, crumbled

– 1 tbsp pomegranate

molasses

For the sun-dried tomato and harissa layer

– 100g sun-dried

tomatoes

– 3 tbsp good-quality

harissa (I use Belazu) – squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

Set up your barbecue for two-zone cooking so that the coals are banked to one side, creating a hot zone and a cooler zone.

To make the pickled apricot salsa, combine the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey and 50ml water and mix well. Add the diced apricots and set aside.

Combine the lemon juice and garlic paste for the creamy base layer and set aside.

Place the cherry tomatoes over direct heat (the hot zone) on the barbecue and cook for about 5 minutes until charred and soft.

Drain the apricots and mix them with the remaining salsa ingredients and some salt and pepper.

Whizz the drained sun-dried tomatoes with the harissa to a paste in a small blender and mix in the lemon juice.

Combine the lemon juice and garlic mixture with the cream cheese and yoghurt and season with salt and pepper.

Spread this mixture over a serving platter.

Top with the charred tomatoes (pluck them from the vines, more or less), followed by the crumbled feta and the sun-dried tomato paste, then the apricot salsa, then drizzle over the pomegranate molasses to serve.

To cook indoors: preheat a griddle pan over a high heat for at least 5 minutes. Char the tomatoes in it for 5 minutes, or until soft, wrinkled and charred in places.