The Endive Chronicles

Eight years ago while browsing through my new cookbook “Street Food” by New Zealander Clare Ferguson; I happened upon a recipe for the Egyptian snack dukkah. At the time I was already cultivating a relatively new obsession with spices and was very interested in this nut and spice filled concoction, eager to give it a try.

Traditionally dukkah blends whole toasted spices, usually cumin, pepper and coriander with nuts and seeds such as sesame and pistachio. Often times, a bit of paprika or thyme is thrown in to shake things up. Dukkah is eaten by dipping warm bread into olive oil which is then dipped in the dukkah mixture. On further research I found that dukkah is really whatever you want it to be by substituting other spices, nuts, seeds and herbs. Sometimes I like to give mine an Indian flare by adding mustard or nigella seeds. Other times I want to highlight Mexican flavors by adding oregano and pepitas. The possibilities are endless. The mix I am sharing with you today is sort of a crazy kitchen cupboard melange that I just kept adding things to.

Now I realise this snack is out of the ordinary and many can’t imagine eating whole (ish) spices. To you I say, let this snack call back your childish imagination. Pretend you are sitting in a bazaar or khan, with the scent of spices filling the air, listening to people haggle over prices or watching an old man smoking his hookah as you savor this exotic and tempting snack. For me, foods that awaken your senses as well as your imagination is some of the best kind.

Dukkah

1 cup *roasted garbanzo beans

1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (I used black and white sesame)

1/4 cup pepitas

1/4 cup almonds

1 TBS coriander

1 TBS cumin

1 TBS Szechuan peppercorns

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp *fleur de sel or other large grained salt

Preheat the oven to 375F

Using a mortar and pestle bash up the nuts and garbanzos, making sure to keep plenty of nice bits to crunch on. Empty the contents onto a baking sheet with sides. Add the spices to to mortar and gently go at them with the pestle only breaking them a bit to release their aroma. Mix them in with the nuts and garbanzos on the baking sheet and place it in the oven for five to seven minutes. Remove the dukkah from the oven and add the fleur de sel and thyme. Serve with warm bread and olive oil.

* Roasted garbanzo beans can be easily found at South Asian and Middle Eastern markets. If not you can also toast canned garbanzo beans, though it is a bit of a pain.

* I like to use fleur de sel because of it’s sticky texture. I feel that it holds on better to the nuts and spices.

Other Suggested Ingredients:

Nuts & Seeds; pistachios, almonds, sesame, hazelnuts, sunflower, pine nuts, pepitas, macadamia, poppy

Spices; coriander seed, cumin seed, nigella seed, fennel seed, peppercorns, Szechuan peppercorns, caraway, red pepper flakes

Dries Herbs; thyme, oregano, savory, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, mint

Mix and match to find your favorite combination!

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