Amlou

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Amlou is served in Morocco with good fresh bread to dip in.  It’s eaten as a snack or appetizer, for example to welcome a guest into your house.  It is delicious, especially with a glass of mint tea.  The three key ingredients are all Moroccan specialities:  almonds, honey and argan oil.  Real argan oil, extracted from the kernels of the nuts of the argan tree, is expensive and hard to find outside Morocco, but is worth the effort.  Try to find one with a delicate nutty flavour, and check it has not gone rancid.   

Recipe:  Amlou.pdf

225g whole, blanched almonds
½ tsp salt
4 tbsps good honey
150-200ml good argan oil

1. Toast nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing frequently, until golden brown.  Let cool.
2. Blitz nuts in a blender or processor with the salt.
3. Add honey and blitz some more until creamy.
4. With motor running, add oil in a thin stream until you reach the desired consistency (a loose dip).
5. Taste to check for salt and sweetness.