:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/UY3UZMW2Y4FSC6CSMTVAXVZFDM.jpg)
- Serves 4
- 4 pork loin chops
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- For the red pepper hummus:
- 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 3 tbsp tahini paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 100g roast red peppers, from a jar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- For the tabbouleh:
- 100g bulgur wheat
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
- A good handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- A good handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 preserved lemon, rind finely chopped
- For the dukkah:
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 75g pistachio nuts, shelled
- 50g sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Oh holy dukkah, if you have not fallen in love with this North African blend of herbs, nuts and spices, please let me hook you up. My first experience with dukkah was a messy affair, which involved dipping warm flat breads in extra virgin olive oil before pressing firmly into a small bowl of freshly made dukkah and devouring.
This mixture of toasted coriander, cumin and fennel seeds bashed to a rough powder with sesame seeds and pistachio or hazelnuts, makes a useful spice blend to coat meat with too.
Dukkah can be found in shops as a premixed blend and brought back to life by lightly toasting in a dry frying pan. But if you do choose to make your own, double or triple the recipe here for it and store the excess in a sealed jar in your store cupboard.
Do seek out preserved lemon, the jars can be sourced easily, and they add a note of brightness and a smack of citrus without the astringent sharpness of a regular lemon.
Toast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, until the seeds become aromatic. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the seeds to a rough powder and set aside.
Toast the pistachios and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until they are golden and then roughly chop and add to the spice mix with the sea salt.
For the tabbouleh, soak the bulgur wheat with 400ml of boiling water. Cover and leave to sit until the liquid is completely soaked up. Fluff up with a fork and mix through the remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Blitz all the ingredients for the red pepper hummus in a food processor until completely smooth. Season to taste.
Sprinkle the dukkah on a plate and press down the chops on all sides to coat with it. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Fry the pork chops for 4-6 minutes either side, or until cooked through.
Serve the pork chops with a dollop of red pepper hummus and some tabbouleh.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CXHWZGGIXRHG5AXI74KPCD3OSI.png)