If Melbourne Cup Day is anywhere on your calendar, put this one on the list first. It needs a genuine four hours in the fridge once it is blitzed, so this is not a same-afternoon job. Make it the morning of the race and let it chill while you sort everything else, or better still, make it the day before and forget about it entirely.
What earns it a permanent spot on the platter is the roasting. Forty minutes in a hot oven turns capsicum and tomato soft, sweet and lightly caramelised, helped along by a scatter of brown sugar, garlic and Native Blend Pink Lake Salt. Blitzed with sour cream and a squeeze of lemon, they turn silky and rich, and Lemon Myrtle lifts the whole bowl with its bright citrus edge. An optional grind of Tasmanian Native Pepper Medley adds a low, warming finish that keeps things interesting past the third cracker. It is familiar enough that everyone reaches for it, and different enough that everyone asks what is in it, which is exactly what you want from a dish for a table full of people who do not all know each other yet.
At a glance: Makes about 1½ cups | Prep 15 min | Cook 45 min | Chill 4 hours minimum
Roasted Capsicum and Lemon Myrtle Dip
Makes about 1½ cups
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Chill at least 4 hours
Ingredients
- 300g red capsicum (about 2 medium)
- 1 tomato
- 2 tablespoons (40ml) olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon (4g) Native Blend Pink Lake Salt (halve the amount if using fine salt)
- ½ teaspoon (2g) brown sugar
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and chopped (or 2 small cloves)
- ½ cup (125g) sour cream
- 1¼ teaspoons (2g) Lemon Myrtle
- Cracked black pepper (about 3 turns of the grinder)
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) Tasmanian Native Pepper Medley, freshly ground (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (20ml) lemon juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional (180°C fan-forced).
- Cut the capsicum and tomato into quarters, removing the cores and seeds.
- Arrange the quarters on a baking tray and rub all over with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic, the brown sugar and half the Pink Lake Salt (about ½ teaspoon). Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until everything is soft to the touch and catching colour at the edges.
- Set aside until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard the skins. After this much roasting, they should come away easily.
- Tip the roasted capsicum, tomato and garlic into a food processor with the Lemon Myrtle, Pepper Medley (if using), cracked pepper, sour cream, lemon juice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of Pink Lake Salt. Blitz until smooth and well combined.
- Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, so the flavours have time to settle together.
Getting the timing right for race day
This is not a dip to blitz five minutes before guests arrive. The resting time is not just a nice-to-have, it is what turns roasted vegetables blended together into something that reads as a proper dip: cold, thick and seasoned all the way through rather than sitting on top. Give it the full four hours if today is the only day you have, or make it the afternoon before and leave it in the fridge overnight. It holds well, and the flavour keeps rounding out the longer it sits.
Once it is chilled and ready, the rest of the spread comes together fast. Crackers or warm flatbread do the scooping, a bowl of crunchy raw vegetables adds contrast, and a fresh swirl of olive oil over the top just before serving makes it look like more effort than it was. It is also a forgiving one for a race day table: because it started properly chilled, it can sit out for a couple of hours of racing and toasting without anyone needing to fuss over it.
Tips and swaps
- Make it a day ahead if you can. It is even better on day two, once the Lemon Myrtle and roasted garlic have properly settled in.
- Serve with crackers, warm flatbread or crunchy vegetables, with a swirl of olive oil over the top, a fresh pinch of Native Blend Pink Lake Salt and an extra grind of Tasmanian Native Pepper Medley at the table for anyone who wants more warmth.
- Lemon Myrtle is available from specialty native food suppliers.
- Because the dip contains sour cream, keep it refrigerated right up until serving. The chill also keeps it pleasantly firm on the platter rather than sliding around as the afternoon warms up.
Keeping it
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and give it a brief stir before serving.
Shop the recipe
- Native Blend Pink Lake Salt - seasons both the roast and the blitz, with Saltbush, Mountain Pepperleaf, Kunzea and Native Thyme already worked through it.
- Tasmanian Native Pepper Medley - the optional grind that gives the dip a gentle native warmth.
If you are planning the rest of the spread, our Dukkah Yoghurt Dip is another make-ahead crowd-pleaser worth putting out alongside it.
