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Creamy, Dreamy Hummus

Description

Wish this wasn't so good, because it's fiddly af. After making the first time, however, I can't with the store-bought hummus.

Ingredients

1 cup (200 grams) soaked overnight in plenty of water and 1 teaspoon baking soda, OR 2 (15 oz/425g) cans of chickpeas, drained (17 oz/480g total)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (if using dried chickpeas)
Kosher salt, to taste
1 pinch ground cumin
7 to 9 tablespoons (120 to 150 grams) tahini
1 garlic clove, minced, or more to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, chopped herbs, toasted nuts, rose harissa or your choice of chile paste, for topping (optional but recommended)

Directions

  1. If using dried chickpeas, drain them well after soaking, then put them into a medium saucepan, for which you have a lid, with the 1/2 tsp baking soda and enough water to cover by about 1 1/2 inches/4cm. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, skimming the scum from the surface as needed, then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid, and simmer from anywhere between 30 and 50 minutes. This will differ greatly depending on your chickpeas, so check them at the 20-minute mark. Toward the last 15 minutes of cooking time, salt the water nicely and add the cumin. Cook the chickpeas until they are very soft.
  2. Using a slotted spoon or spider, agitate the chickpeas, giving them a gentle shake in the water, allowing the skins to be released and rise to the surface. Discard the skins (don’t worry too much if you don’t catch them all). Skip to step 5.
  3. If using canned chickpeas, spread them out between two kitchen towels and use your hands to vigorously rub the towels together for a few minutes. Don’t press down too hard on the chickpeas; you don’t want to crush them. Lift the top towel, to see how you’re doing—the friction should have caused the chickpea skins to be released. Discard the skins.
  4. Put the canned (and now peeled) chickpeas into a saucepan with enough water to cover, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of cumin. Simmer for 15 minutes, until soft.
  5. Drain the chickpeas over a bowl, saving the water. Put the warm chickpeas into a food processor with 7 tbsp/120g of tahini, the garlic, lemon juice, a couple of ice cubes (scant 1 oz/25g worth), 2 tablespoons of reserved chickpea water and a good pinch of salt. Blitz until smooth(ish), then check on the hummus. You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon, and salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need. Don’t be shy about adding more tahini—each brand differs and may require you to use more. Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don’t worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits.
  6. When ready, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, creating a well in the center. (If not serving right away, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.) Top with a generous glug of olive oil, then personalize your hummus as you wish. We sometimes add herbs, toasted nuts, or rose harissa, but these are just suggestions. Once you get the base right, hummus knows no bounds.

Notes

So so good - I add tons of extra lemon juice.
Skinning Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans is a pain in the ass. And I've never even seen dried chickpeas. The YouTube video below has a tip for skinning the canned kind, making the whole thing much easier.
https://youtu.be/2Hh9tDJoUjw

Source

Deb M. From a chef that Charlie and Jane recommended. Here's the recipe: Classic Hummus Recipe From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen