Having never heard of Dukka before, I was intrigued. Even when we visited Egypt in 1997, I don’t recall anyone talking about Dukka, nor did I see it on any menus. Unfortunately I didn’t get to the spice market there, either. In the picture above you can’t actually see the Dukka because it’s on the biscuits.
Dukka is a spice mix. That’s all. It doesn’t contain anything all that unusual. But it’s as varied as saying “Italian seasoning,” which can contain a whole variety of herbs. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
Dakka (also Dukka, or Duqqa) (Egyptian Arabic): is an Egyptian condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), and spices. It is typically used as a dip with bread or fresh vegetables for an hors d’œuvre. Pre-made versions of dakka can be bought in the spice markets of Cairo, with the simplest version being crushed mint, salt and pepper which are sold in paper cones. The packaged variety is found in markets that is composed of parched wheat flour mixed with cumin and caraway. [It may also contain things like] sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Reference to a 19th-century text lists marjoram, mint, zaatar and chickpeas as further ingredients that can be used in the mixture. A report from 1978 indicates that even further ingredients can be used, such as nigella, millet flour and dried cheese. Some commercial variants include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Most versions contain some kind of nuts such as cashews, pistachios, almonds or hazelnuts, with hazelnuts being a common one, also cashews. It sounds like every household cook has his/her own version of it, or maybe varies depending on which nuts and seeds are in the house at the moment. I found one other good-sounding recipe for dukka at Food & Wine.
The bacon-tomato jam is pretty straight-forward. Cook the bacon, drain, add everything else and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until it’s cooked down to a jam-like consistency. You can make this ahead, just reheat it before serving.
The biscuits are all quite simple too – it’s a buttermilk biscuit, plain and simple. They’re dipped in dukka, though, before baking, and the tops are brushed with buttermilk and more dukka is added there. Cool the biscuits, split them, spread with the jam, and serve. Done.
What’s GOOD: I absolutely LOVED these appetizers. For me, it was the bacon that did it. The Dukka wasn’t all that prominent in the flavors, but then I didn’t do a taste test of just the biscuits and Dukka. I think Dukka, in Egypt for sure, is probably a next-to-the-stove condiment that’s probably made up in quantity and used on just about everything. Like we have salt and pepper – they have Dukka.
What’s NOT: a bit of preparation here – both the jam and the Dukka. The biscuits need to be made fresh – don’t make them the day before. Make maybe half an hour before you need to serve them. They’d be particularly nice served warm.
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Bacon Tomato Jam on Dukka Biscuits
Recipe By: Tarla Fallgatter, cooking instructor
Serving Size: 10
BACON TOMATO JAM:
1 pound thick-sliced bacon — diced
2 pounds tomatoes — ripe, seeded & diced
1 medium white onion — peeled, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar — packed
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons garlic — minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Italian parsley — chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
DUKKA BISCUITS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter — chilled, cut into 1/2″ dice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup dukka
More buttermilk for brushing on top of the biscuits
DUKKA SPICE MIX (makes about twice what you’ll need):
1/3 cup almonds or hazelnuts
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
NOTES: The Dukka mixture can be made up in advance, and will keep for about a month in a sealed plastic bag or jar. The recipe for Dukka makes more than you’ll need for this recipe.
1. BACON-TOMATO JAM: Cook the bacon in a large saute pan until crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and discard drippings.
2. Add tomatoes, onions, sugars, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and bacon, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and jam-like consistency, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. This can be made a day or two ahead. Reheat before serving.
3. BISCUITS: Preheat oven to 350° and position a rack in the center.
4. Pulse flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Pulse in the chopped-up chilled butter. Add buttermilk and continue pulsing ONLY until the dough barely comes together.
5. Transfer dough to a work surface and pat and roll out to 1 inch depth. Use a floured 2-inch round cutter and cut out as many biscuits as you can.
6. Dip the bottoms into Dukka mixture and transfer the biscuits to a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently gather the remaining dough scraps and press them into a 1-inch deep round. Cut out more biscuits, dip them in Dukka and transfer to baking sheet.
7. Brust the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with additional Dukka.
8. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Split and spread each biscuit (cut side up) with bacon-tomato jam. This assumes each person will eat two biscuit halves.
9. DUKKA: Preheat the oven to 350°.
10. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the nuts.
11. In a skillet, toast the seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until chopped along with the chopped nuts and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer the dukka to a bowl, add salt and pepper, and allow to cool. Store in a plastic bag or sealed jar. Will keep for about a month.
Per Serving (you’ll have left over jam and Dukka, so this is likely very high): 548 Calories; 32g Fat (52.6% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 1192mg Sodium.
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