For Muslims breaking their fast during Ramadan, dates are an excellent source of energy and will slowly help restart the digestive process back to its pre-fasting norm after the Islamic holy month.
This pickle uses both fresh and dried dates. The fresh ones taste a little like a sweet coconut apple, while the dried have that unique sticky and sweet moreish-ness.
Popular in Iran and Iraq, this gooey pickle is great with fried or scrambled eggs or as a bracing accompaniment to cheese.
Ingredients:
500g fresh and dried dates
150g sumac
200g tamarind brick
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Juice of 2 lemons
Separately soak the sumac and tamarind in a little water overnight. Stone the fresh and dried dates and soak them foe a few hours, then roughly chop them. Add the strained tamarind and sumac, the rest of the spices and the lemon juice to the dates. Spoon all the lovely gooeyness into sterilised jars and keep in a cool place. The fridge is a little too cool and the mixture has a tendency to crystallise, but the pickle will probably last longer if refrigerated.
Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist. Visit his blog at assassinationcustard.blogspot.com
