Poached Eggs Over Dukkah Vegetable Hash

Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of nuts, seeds and spices usually containing hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cumin and dried hot peppers. It is crunchy, slightly smokey, spicy enough to be interesting and has a richness from the nuts that most spice blends don’t. Nuts and seeds are good sources of several minerals and unsaturated fats and using them in a spice blend like this makes them easy to incorporate into dishes- simply throw it over eggs, salads, seafood, meat or lentil or bean dishes. There are several variations of dukkah and it can be purchased from ethnic markets and specialty stores or made at home with a spice grinder (or mortal and pestle if you want an upper body workout). It is not too popular here in Canada or in the US but it is rampant throughout Australia. I discovered it recently at Pure Bread bakery in Whistler, where Australian accents are arguably the most common ones you will hear amongst locals and tourists alike. It is traditionally served with bread and olive oil, you dip the bread in the oil and then in the dukkah but it goes with many different dishes and types of food. Here I used it as the highlight of this big brunch plate featuring roasted vegetables, poached eggs, avocado, pine nuts and fresh cilantro. If you have some trouble with poached eggs then scrambled or hard boiled is just as good or try out my tips listed in this post complete with photos.