Muhammara

Step 1: Char 2 red bell peppers directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over. Put them in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes, then peel, seed and pat dry. Skip this if using jarred peppers.

Step 2: Toast 3 ½ oz walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking often, until they darken a shade and smell rich and toasty. Tip onto a plate to cool; reserve a few for the top.

Step 3: Put the walnuts in a food processor with 1 ⅜ oz dried breadcrumbs, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber) and pulse until they look like coarse sand.

Step 4: Add the peppers, 1 tbsp red pepper paste (biber salçası), 1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt and 3 tablespoons of 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Pulse in short bursts until thick and spreadable but still slightly textured. Don't run the machine continuously or it turns into a smooth, pale paste.

Step 5: Taste and balance: more molasses if it's too sharp, more salt or lemon if flat. Spoon into a shallow dish, make a swirl with the back of a spoon and fill it with the rest of 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Top with the reserved walnuts and 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds. It keeps for 5 days in the fridge and tastes better on day two.