I continue my series on easy holiday entertaining ideas with a Canadian twist on a popular Egyptian spice blend. This dukkah recipe replaces the traditional hazelnuts, pistachios and sesame seeds with pumpkin seeds and almonds or pine nuts.
When people asked me what they should keep in their pantry to be ready to entertain, dukkah naturally comes in mind. While your guests are enjoying a glass of wine or your welcome cocktail, cut a baguette, pour some olive oil in a large plate or an oil serving bowl, and serve dukkah in a low bowl. You dip bread into olive oil, then into the nut mixture. I have to warn you to make plenty since dukkah can become addictive. Leftovers can be stored into a airtight container for a month. Another easy to make appetizer is to cover goat cheese balls with dukkah.
Pumpkin & Fennel Dukkah recipe by Josee Robitaille
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) almonds or pine nuts
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) sesame seeds
- 4 teaspoons (20 ml) fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) sea salt
How to make it
- Preheat your oven at 350 °F (180°C)
- Grill the pumpkin seeds and almonds on a cookie sheet for 4 to 6 minutes (until they are lightly golden)
- Deposit the sesame seeds into another cookie sheet and grill for 3 to 4 minutes (until they are lightly golden)
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let cool completely
- Deposit the fennel seeds into a pan and roast them 3 to 4 minutes at a medium heat. Then, remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Pulse the pumpkin seeds and the pine nuts in the small bowl of a food processor to a coarse consistency. Be careful, it should not become a paste. Another option is to chop them with a knife.
- Grind or place in a mortar and pestle the fennel seeds and pound until the mixture is crushed
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
Voilà! Put another batch into a Mason jar, attach a gift tag and you will have a tasty hostess gift ready to bring during the holiday season.
