I’ll be honest with you, after following all of the steps to this recipe; the final product wasn’t something that I loved, but the dukkah – now that is a different story. I’m sharing this recipe with you because you may enjoy it, and because you absolutely must make yourself some dukkah. The recipe warrants a large bowl of dukkah, so I had plenty leftover. I’ve since used it sprinkled over toasted bread with avocado slices and over slices of goat cheese on crackers. It’s a very versatile snack enhancer – one that you must try.
I’m not sure if you know this simple physics fun fact already, but cold eggs dropped into boiling water expand too quickly and break open. That is why the recipe specifically states that the eggs should be room temperature. If you haven’t had time to plan ahead, you can use your refrigerated eggs and dip them quickly in and out of the water with a slotted spoon. Do this for about thirty seconds before fully emerging the egg carefully into the water.
The wilted greens include some thin slices of fennel which made me nervous and rightly so. I’ve only had one recipe with fennel that I’ve liked. To be quite candid, I think the recipe would be better off without the greens altogether. The chickpea puree, on the other hand, is a wonderful hummus. I’ve enjoyed eating homemade hummus with sprinkled dukkah leftovers all week. Throw in some extra cayenne pepper for an additional kick.
Dukkah-Rolled Soft-Boiled Eggs with Chickpea Puree
Ingredients
for the dukkah
1/3 Cup hazelnuts, skinned
1/4 Cup sesame seeds
5 Tsp coriander seeds
4 Tsp cumin seeds
2 Tsp sea salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1/2 Tsp paprika
- Large pinch of cayenne pepper
for the chickpea puree
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 Tsp smoked paprika
1 14 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt
for the wilted greens
1 Fennel bulb
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
1 Pound mixed greens (such as spinach, arugula, dandelion, chard)
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
additional
4 Free-range eggs, at room temperature
4 Slices sourdough, to serve (optional)
Instructions
1) Heat the oven to 350⁰ F then roast the hazelnuts and sesame seeds separately until they are golden in color. Next roast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
2) Transfer the roasted ingredients to a food processer or large mortar and pestle, add the remaining dukkah ingredients and blend all ingredients together until a course mixture is formed (Don’t over blend or the mixture will become oily).
3) Store in an airtight container and set aside until required.
4) Heat the olive oil in a pan then add the garlic, remove from heat and swirl oil with garlic to infuse. Add the cayenne pepper, paprika and chickpeas then return to the heat.
5) Add 5 fluid ounces of water (approximately 1/2 cup) and warm through. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth then season with sea salt. Set aside and keep warm.
6) Halve the fennel lengthwise, remove the core then cut into very thin slices.
7) In a large frying pan, heat the oil, add the fennel and garlic and cook until tender, then set aside in a separate bowl.
8) Return the pan to the heat and add a dash more oil as well as the mixed greens. Let wilt a little then toss in the fennel. Add seasoning and lemon juice.
9) Meanwhile, boil the eggs. Bring a pot of water to a boil then carefully lower the eggs in and cook for 5 to 8 minutes (five minutes for runny eggs, 8 minutes for semi-cooked yokes).
10) Remove the eggs from the water and cool under cold running water. Carefully peel and set aside.
11) Drizzle the peeled boiled eggs with olive oil and carefully roll in the dukkah until fully coated.
12) To serve: Toast the sourdough slices and top each slice with warm chickpea puree, wilted greens, a dukkah rolled egg and a sprinkling of additional dukkah. Serve immediately.
Recipe derived from The Modern Vegetarian by Maria Elia.
