Muhammara, red pepper and walnut dip

Wash the peppers and cut the stalk out of each one.

Line a baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on it and space the peppers out on the rack; add an onion cut into quarters to char alongside.

Broil on medium about eight minutes until the top surface is cooked and burnt, then rotate and repeat until every side is charred and the peppers are cooked through.

While still hot, pile the peppers and onion into a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap so the trapped steam softens the skins; leave 15 minutes.

Pinch and pull the skin off in large pieces, rotating each pepper, then rip off the top and remove the core and seeds. Do not wash the seeds out with water -- that washes away the charred flavour.

Weigh out 250 grams of pepper flesh and half of the onion and set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a pan on medium heat for five minutes, stirring every few seconds, and take them off the moment they smell toasty and walnuty -- they are not meant to brown.

Toast the breadcrumbs in the same pan about five minutes, stirring, until they go from pale beige to a few shades darker.

Put the toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs, the weighed pepper and onion, the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and tahini into a food processor.

Add the Aleppo pepper flakes, ground cumin and salt.

Blend one to two minutes, opening up to scrape the sides down a couple of times, until uniform orange and like a red pesto; run it longer for a smoother dip.

Variation, the Lebanese version: stir in the sumac and tomato paste and mix to combine.

Pile the dip in the centre of a deep bowl and work it into a well shape, rotating the bowl one way while pushing with the back of a spoon, then rotate the other way to smooth the edges.

Drizzle with olive oil or pomegranate molasses and garnish with chopped walnuts, Aleppo pepper and a sprig of mint.