Tag Archives: Dukkah

Labneh with Dukkah Topping

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Move over hummus, there’s a new dip in town. Bold statement, I know, but hear me out. Labneh is essentially yogurt strained past the point of even Greek yogurt, until it is ultra-thick. Middle Eastern in origin, it is often referred to as yogurt cheese. Lush and creamy, the texture is somewhere between cream cheese and fresh chevre.

If there is a Middle Eastern store in your area, you can probably buy labneh. If not, it’s easy to make your own. Mix whole milk (5%) plain yogurt (not Greek) with some salt, and strain it in cheesecloth for 24-48 hours.

Labneh is so versatile. You can spread it on toast, drizzle with honey and toasted hazelnuts and have it for breakfast. It’s a great substitute for mayo as a sandwich spread. Check out these other delicious creative ideas to use labneh.

My favourite way to eat labneh is as a dip. I love textural contrast in my food, so I topped this lush creamy dip with crunchy dukkah.

Dukkah is a Middle Eastern nut and spice mix. The first time I had it was at Mahane Yehuda Market  (The Shuk) in Jerusalem. Vendors there sell small paper cones filled with dukkah, along with strips of grilled pita bread.  You dip the bread into the vendor’s bowl of olive oil, dunk it into the cone of dukkah and then joyfully crunch and munch your way to a very happy place. (Obviously, this was before the pandemic! No one would dip their pita into a communal bowl of olive oil these days.)

The name dukkah originates from the Egyptian word “dakka,” which means “to crush,” which is what you do to many of the ingredients that go into the mix. There really is no classic recipe for dukkah. Just follow the basic ratio of 1 cup nuts: 1/2 cup sesame seeds: 4 tablespoons spices: 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

This dukkah combination was inspired by a recipe in the Summer 2020 issue of the LCBO magazine, Food & Drink. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios provide the crunch while fennel seed, cumin, coriander and sumac provide the spice notes. Go wild and create your own custom Dukkah mix.

You will only need about 1/4-1/2 cup of dukkah to sprinkle over the labneh. Save the extra in the freezer and use it to coat fish or chicken for baking.

Warmed pita bread cut into wedges makes the perfect dipping companion. If you live in Ottawa, you need to buy Thyme and Again’s spiced pita chips (pictured here). They are addictive.

Add a bowl of salted nuts and some marinated olives and you have a perfect snack to serve with drinks.

Click here to print recipe for Labneh-with-Dukkah-ToppingDownload

Avocado Labne Toast

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If my sweet version of breakfast labne toast with strawberries and honey didn’t convince you to bust out the cheesecloth and make some labne, perhaps this savory version will.

Labne, also known as yogurt cheese, is simple to make. Mix plain yogurt (greek or regular, your choice) with a bit of lemon juice and salt. Put it in a cheesecloth lined strainer, set over a bowl. Leave it in the fridge for 24-28 hours, depending on how thick you like it. You can feed the whey drippings to your pet pig, if you happen to have one. If not, just discard.

Homemade labne will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks, so make a big batch and shake up your morning breakfast routine.

Start with good bread. A hearty artisnal loaf, something substantial, maybe one loaded with seeds and nuts. Please remember to deeply toast your bread, otherwise the labne will soak into the bread like a sponge, and that would be sad.
Plain avocadoes are bland. They need to be treated with the magic trifecta of acid, salt and heat. In this case, I used lime juice, flaky sea salt and maras red pepper. If you don’t know about maras pepper, you need to learn about it and get yourself a bag. They are sun-dried Turkish peppers with a slow, subtle heat. They instantly add a hit of brightness to everything you put them on. If you have a Mid-East grocery in your city, they will likely stock it.

Add some toasted pistachios for a little crunch. And if you happen to have a jar of dukkah in the pantry, a sprinkle of that will really take this breakfast to the next level deliciousness.

Click here to print recipe for Avocado and Labne Breakfast Toast.

 

Dukkah Crusted Salmon

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2-platesThis week, I’m not sure if I’m more excited about the Toronto Blue Jays or this salmon recipe. But, let’s put aside baseball and talk about Dukkah Crusted Salmon. Dukkah is a mid-east nut and spice mixture, chockfull of crunchy hazelnuts, pistachios and sesame seeds, scented with cumin, coriander and nigella seeds. dukkah-ingredientsA food processor makes quick work of the nuts and spices. dukkahI have waxed poetic about dukkah in this space before. (Grilled Flatbread with Dukkah, Roasted Asparagus with Dukkah). It is such a versatile mixture. My version of dukkah crusted salmon was inspired by Donna Hay’s recipe. To use the dukkah alone as a crust would be too heavy and overpowering. Donna suggests lightening up the coating by mixing in some puffed amaranth cereal. Too lazy to go to the store to hunt down puffed amaranth, I decided that Rice Krispies would be an excellent substitute.ready-for-crusting-1coating-fish-in-dukkah The fragrant crunchy coating yields way to meltingly tender rich salmon. Guys, this is my new favourite way to eat salmon.

Click here to print recipe for Dukkah-Crusted-Salmon.

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Go Jays Go!!

Roasted Asparagus with Dukkah

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asparagus on white platterWhen a chef takes a humble ingredient, like the carrot, and makes it sublime, I pay attention. My first carrot experience created by Chef Michelle Bernstein, was 5 years ago, at The Omphoy Hotel in Palm Beach. I was visiting my friend Marla and we went to a killer barre class at the hotel’s Exhale Spa. After class we hobbled over to the restaurant for breakfast.

Once we ordered our poached eggs, the waiter delivered a basket of hot biscuits and house made carrot marmalade to the table. He said we must try the marmalade, and because our mammas raised us right, just to be polite, we ate all the biscuits and asked for a second ramekin of the carrot marmalade. I still have no idea what was in it or how they got it to taste so good. but I think about it often.

My second Michelle Bernstein carrot experience was last month in Miami. I was in town for my nephew’s wedding. We had a spare night so we went to dinner at her Biscayne Blvd. restaurant Cena. I started with the roasted carrots topped with whipped sardinian ricotta and dukkah. Once again, her wizardry with carrots dazzled me. Sadly, I just heard the restaurant closed on May 31.

Dukkah is a Middle Eastern nut and spice mix. I have written about it before, a few years ago. One of my favourite ways to eat it is to dip pita in olive oil and then do a second dunk into the dukkah. A very satisfying and addictive little bite. It had never occurred to me to sprinkle dukkah on vegetables, but it totally works.

Fat spears of asparagus got my attention at the market so I abandoned all plans of roasted carrots. You gotta go with what looks good that day. I decided on a pistachio based dukkah, but feel free to use any nut you like. Sesame seeds, fennel, cumin and coriander seeds add fragrant deliciousness. ready to cookSeeds and nuts are toasted and then coarsely ground in the food processor. making dukkah 1making dukkah 2asparagus on preheated pan

Click here to print recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Pistachio Dukkah.asparagus on red plate

Grilled Flatbread with Dukkah

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Aside from baking challah every week, it’s been way too long since I’ve had any fun with yeast. I have really missed that culinary alchemy that happens when you combine flour, water, salt and yeast. I decided to take it outside and grill some flatbread.

This is a gorgeous dough that comes together in the food processor in about 2 minutes flat.  Made with bread flour and just a touch of nutty whole wheat flour, this dough is super hydrated with water and olive oil. A wet dough is how you achieve, what bread freaks call, an “open crumb structure”. That just means that the inside of the grilled flatbread has those airy bubbles, that make it so chewy and delicious to eat.
making dough 1making dough 2making dough 3making dough 4
I will admit it takes a leap of faith to put this thin super stretchy dough onto the BBQ and not be riddled with anxiety that it will fall right through the grill. But, miraculously, it doesn’t. In about 4 minutes the flatbread is charred to perfection. I like to brush it with a really fruity olive oil as soon as it comes off the grill and then sprinkle it with Dukkah.
brushing on olive oil

sprinkling dukkah
Dukkah is a Middle Eastern nut and spice mix. The first time I had it was at Mahane Yehuda Market  (The Shuk) in Jerusalem. Vendors there sell small paper cones filled with dukkah, along with strips of grilled pita bread.  You dip the bread into the vendor’s bowl of olive oil, dunk it into the cone of dukkah and then joyfully crunch and munch your way to a very happy place.

The name dukkah originates from the Egyptian word “dakka,” which means “to crush,” which is what you do to many of the ingredients that go into the mix. There really is no classic recipe for dukkah. Just follow the basic ratio of 1 cup nuts: 1/2 cup sesame seeds: 4 tablespoons spices: 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

I settled on a combo of hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander seeds and salt. Go wild and create your own custom Dukkah mix. Peanuts or macadamia nuts would be fantastic. Fennel or caraway seeds would add a really unique flavour. dukkah ingredientsWhen I am having family or good friends over, it is great fun to watch them greedily dip the warm chewy charred bread into fruity olive oil and then into the bowl of dukkah. Double dipping almost always ensues as this mix has all the hallmarks of an outstanding snack; crunchy, spicy and just a little bit salty.

And hey, if you decide not to make your own flatbread and just buy some pita bread to serve with the dukkah, I won’t judge. One of my very best friends called me after reading my post about Lemon Poppy Seed Baby Bundts to tell me that she was going to buy a few of of those adorable mini bunt pans and fill them with Duncan Hines Lemon Poppy Seed Cake mix!

Click here to print recipe for Grilled Flatbread with Dukkah.