50g bay leaf spinach, a few leaves reserved to garnish
20g watercress, a few leaves reserved to garnish
3/4 Maldon sea salt
3tbsp ice-cold-water
105g tahini
For the crispy sprouts
14tbsp mixed sprouts
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4tsp ground cumin
Pinch Maldon salt
To serve
a few coriander leaves
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g zhoug (see recipe)
Zest 1/4 unwaxed lemon
Pinch sumac
Pinch pul biber
Zhoug
50g fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
10g flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
3-5 green chillis, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
140g extra-virgin olive oil
Juice 1 lemon
1/2tsp Maldon sea salt
4 cardamom pods
1/2tsp fennel seeds
1 3/4tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 cumin seeds
2 cloves
3 black peppercorns
Method
Preheat the oven to 195C/ 175C F/Gas 51/2.
For the crispy sprouts, in a small mixing bowl, toss the sprouts with the oil, cumin and salt. Spread the sprouts out in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden-brown and crispy. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool.
Combine all the ingredients for the houmous, except the tahini, in a food processor or a tall beaker if using a stick blender. Blend on high speed until you have a smooth purée. Add the tahini and blend for an additional minute until thoroughly incorporated. For a thinner consistency, add an extra 1tbsp ice-cold water.
Toss the coriander leaves and the reserved watercress and spinach leaves in a bowl with the olive oil and lemon juice. Spoon the houmous on to a serving plate or dish and use the back of a spoon to create swirls. Serve topped with the zhoug, the dressed leaves, lemon zest, sumac, pul biber and the crispy sprouts.
For the zhoug (makes approx. 200g)
In a tall beaker, combine the fresh herbs, garlic, chillies, spring onion, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Blend thoroughly using a stick blender at maximum speed. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the pods. Toast the cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and black peppercorns in a dry, heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. Keep swirling the pan for around 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Transfer the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind them with a firm, circular motion until you have a medium-fine texture resembling sand – keep the coriander seeds slightly coarser. Incorporate the ground spices into the green herby paste until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipes and photographs taken from Arabica by James Walter, photography by Jad Al Younis (Carnival, £30)
