Muhumarra with Paprika Chips

Warning: Muhumarra, a Turkish spread made with red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses, should be the appetizer you bring to your next cocktail party or potluck dinner, but only if you want to be considered the most interesting and exotic person at there.

First of all, no one will be able to guess what it’s made of. And no one will be able to keep their hands off of it. It hits all the high notes of sweet, savory and richness that you’d expect from a dip. And the flatbread chips? Well, my advice is to make extra. The smoky, paprika dusted chips go so well with this mezze, you’ll be happy you did.

I first learned of muhumarra while working in a Persian restaurant. The owner was also the chef, so he made everything from scratch, even the complimentary bread that was served to the guests. Giant jars of herbed olive oil sat on the bar, along with huge glass urns of preserved lemons that would take months to make. My mouth watered as soon as I would walk into the place, and I worked there! Muhumarra was served alongside another pair of spreads as a trio: a bean spread, and an eggplant spread, grilled flatbread served in a basket off to the side. Guests ate every drop, swabbing the plate with their fingers when they ran out of flatbread. And they always wanted more. Before I left, I made sure I knew how to make this dip by watching and learning, carefully.

Now that you know how to make it, you can whip up a batch of this delicious Middle Eastern spread to mystify and intrigue your friends this weekend. Grill up some flatbread, or make the smoky paprika chips. Everyone will love you for it!

-Amy at Flatout