Dips are never just accompaniments at our restaurant, the Barbary in central London, but a way of building flavour from the outset. They set the tone for the meal, so it’s important not only to have a variety of spice and seasoning, but also contrast in colour and texture, not least to get the palate excited straight away. These early-summer dips, inspired by the former Barbary Coast (Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia), are all best served with grilled flatbread, seeded crackers and fresh vegetables. The kaha kaha and machluta dips are both somewhere between a dip and a salad, and go especially well with grilled chicken, while the fava is good with grilled fish.
Courgette machluta (pictured top)
A fresh, seasonal take on machluta, a traditional pulse soup, in which charred courgette and onion are folded into a cooling yoghurt flavoured with confit garlic and warm spices. It is best made ahead, so the flavours have time to settle and deepen. To make your own confit garlic, simply put a few cloves of peeled garlic in a small ovenproof dish, add enough vegetable oil barely to cover, then cover with tinfoil and bake at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 30-40 minutes, until soft (alternatively, cook it on the hob on a very low heat for roughly the same time).
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Chill 2 hr+
Serves 6
500g courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters, spongey seeds removed
75g red onion, peeled and cut into 2cm-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
30g confit roast garlic, homemade (see recipe introduction) or shop-bought, crushed to a paste, plus 15ml of its oil
½ tsp ground turmeric powder (2½g)
½ tsp ground chilli flakes (2½g)
½ tsp ground cumin (2½g)
300g greek yoghurt
Season the courgette and onion with oil, salt and pepper, then grill on a high heat for two to three minutes on each side, until charred and cooked through. Leave to cool, then cut into 1cm dice and put in a bowl.
Add all the other ingredients, season again with more salt and pepper, then cover and put in the fridge for a few hours before serving, so the flavours can mingle.
Kaha kaha
Half dip, half salad, this is all about soft roast vegetables sharpened with vinegar and herbs.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 6
3 aubergines, trimmed, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 red pepper, stalk, core, pith and seeds removed and discarded, flesh cut into 2cm dice
1 green pepper, stalk, core, pith and seeds removed and discarded, flesh cut into 2cm dice
50g peeled garlic, crushed
3 chillies (a mix of red and green is nice), very finely sliced (remove the pith and seeds if you prefer less heat)
200ml light olive oil
Salt
25ml white balsamic vinegar (the best you can get your hands on, because it really makes a difference)
25ml extra-virgin olive oil
50g picked flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the aubergine, peppers, garlic and chillies in a large bowl, add the light olive oil, season with salt, then spread out in a single layer on a baking tray.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and golden, then tip back into the bowl and, while they’re still warm, dress with the vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil and parsley. Season with more salt to taste and serve at room temperature.
Fava
This smooth puree is rich with caramelised onion, thyme and lemon. Topped with a crisp tomato and caper salad, it works beautifully as a dip, a side or even as a base for fish or octopus.
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 6
For the fave puree
125g red onion, peeled and sliced (net weight)
25g garlic, peeled and sliced (net weight)
60g light olive oil
250g yellow split peas
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
Salt, to taste
For the salad
50g red onion, peeled and diced (net weight)
100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
25g capers in brine, drained
Extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and flaky sea salt, to taste
10g chopped flat-leaf parsley
Put the onion, garlic and oil in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until the onion and garlic are soft and beginning to caramelise.
Add the split peas, thyme and enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and leave to bubble away for 20-25 minutes, until the split peas are cooked through and soft (if your peas are very dry or old, you may need to give them longer and to top up the water occasionally).
Transfer the contents of the cooked split pea pan to a blender and blitz smooth. Season with lemon juice and salt to taste (you may want more lemon), then pour into a bowl and leave to cool – cover the surface of the puree with a cartouche or clingfilm first, so a skin doesn’t form.
Meanwhile, make the salad. Mix the chopped onion, halved tomatoes and capers in a bowl, then dress with olive oil, lemon juice and salt as you see fit.
Spread the fava mix on a platter and make a well in the centre. Spoon the salad inside, top with the chopped parsley and more olive oil, then serve at room temperature.
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Aika Levins is group development chef of the Studio Paskin group of restaurants in London, which includes The Barbary, The Palomar and Evelyn’s Table.