Whipped Feta Dip with Pistachio Dukkah & Pomegranate, Tortilla Chips & Crudite
From Ainsley’s World Cup Flavours, ITV
Perfect for sharing! The tangy soft feta dips work perfectly with the zesty and nutty spiced dukkah. You’ll have leftover dukkah which is wonderful for sprinkling over bread, salads or as a topping for lamb, fish or roasted veg. If you’re not a fan of pistachio this also works well with hazelnuts or walnuts. Try with vegan Greek-style cheese and a plant-based yoghurt for a fab dairy-free dip. The dip will firm up when chilled so let it come up to room temperature or stir through a little yoghurt to loosen.
Method
First make the dukkah. In a dry frying pan over a medium heat toast the nuts until aromatic and lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate. Toast the sesame seeds for 30 seconds and tip onto the plate with the nuts. Toast the cumin, fennel, coriander seeds and peppercorns until aromatic and tip into a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Put the nuts and sesame seeds into a food processor along with the spices, sumac and salt. Pulse a few times until you have a very coarse crumb – you want this dukkah nice and crunchy – and tip into a bowl. Set aside.
Clean out the food processor and add the feta, garlic, 100g of yoghurt and lemon zest. Blitz until combined. Add more of the yoghurt if desired – it depends on the thickness of your yoghurt. With the processor still running, drizzle in the olive oil a teaspoon at a time until you have a smooth dip consistency. Cover and set aside. You can make ahead but the texture will thicken when chilled.
When ready to serve put the whipped feta on a serving plate and make a well in the centre. Pour in a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle over plenty of the dukkah and garnish with pomegranate seeds.
For the Tortilla Chips
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil and cut into 6 triangles. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheets and sprinkle with the sumac and season with salt. Bake for 3-4 minutes and then use tongs to carefully turn the tortilla over. Bake for another 3-4 minutes or until just golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little cayenne (if using) and a little more salt if needed. Leave to cool.
Serve with the feta dip and a selection of fresh vegetable crudité (radish, celery, cucumber, carrot)
Ingredients
- 30g shelled pistachios
- 10g blanched almonds
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 4 black peppercorns
- ½ tsp sumac or zest of ½ lemon
- pinch of sea salt
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced (optional)
- 100-120g thick Greek yoghurt
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
- pomegranate seeds, to garnish
- For the Tortilla Chips
- 6 small corn tortillas
- light olive oil, for brushing
- good pinch of sumac
- pinch of cayenne (optional)
- flaked sea salt