I love good hummus, in fact one of the first restaurants I visited in Scotland when I moved over “a few years ago” was a small middle eastern restaurant that served the best hummus. It was creamy and smooth, with just the right amount of garlic. Needless to say every time I visited I scoffed the lot! Now I won’t claim that I make my own hummus all the time because sometimes you just need to ease of running to the shops to buy various dips and nibbles because you’ve decided you are having a few folk around or just a lazy night in.
Each time I read a magazine or recipe book and there is a recipe for hummus I always compare them. Some have added olive oil, some are made with tinned chickpeas (which are always in my store cupboard) and others made with dried chickpeas. Each time I followed a recipe the hummus was never quite like I had that first time! So my search for the best recipe continued. I then came across an article by Yotam Ottolenghi in which he argued his opinion on using dried chickpeas and a turkish tahini, rather than a greek tahini. Armed with more information, I set off to try his recipe. I was amazed at the difference! I had finally achieved the smooth texture and creaminess I’d been searching for. This method does need a little planning time as the chickpeas are soaked overnight, but in my opinion its worth it. I’d also add that this recipe freezes really well making it ideal for preparing in bulk and freezing for later use.
smooth, creamy hummus
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Ingredients
- 250g dried chickpeas (soaked overnight in double the amount of water)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 270g tahini
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 75-100ml ml ice cold water
- 1.5 tsp salt
Directions
| Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large bowl of water, twice the amount of water to chickpeas. The next day drain the chickpeas into a pan over a high heat and add the bicarbonate of soda. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly before adding the water. Add approximately 1½ litres of fresh water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and skins that float to the surface. They may take anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy. | |
| Once cooked, drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 600 grams now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste; then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mix until you get a very smooth and creamy paste, about five minutes. Transfer the hummus into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straight away, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. | |
Note
This recipe makes a large quantity of hummus. You can half the recipe but we have tried and tested to freeze in smaller amounts and allowed to defrost at room temperature and have no issues with either taste or consistency.
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