Year of the Bean

It is hot. So in addition to last week’s spicier dish, this week was a dish that requires very little in the way of cook time, and is eaten chilled or room temp: hummus! Specifically, Yotam Ottolenghi’s hummus.

I was lucky enough to have the Rancho Gordo chickpeas from my last shipment, so they were very fresh. And this will definitely pair well with all the eggplants I’ve been smoking for baba ghanouj, lately.

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 270g tahini
• 60 mL fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons’ worth)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 100 mL ice-cold water

Procedure

1. Soak chickpeas overnight, with at least twice their volume in water (they’ll absorb a lot)
2. Drain chickpeas, reserving the aquafaba for all sorts of fun projects
3. In large deep pan or cast-iron Dutch oven, combine drained chickpeas and baking soda over high heat; cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add 1500mL water and bring to a boil. Cook at a simmer, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface, from 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.
5. Drain chickpeas (again reserving any aquafaba!), place in a food processor, and process until you get a stiff paste.
6. With the machine still running, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt.
7. Slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.
8. Transfer hummus to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, refrigerate until needed, up to two days, or freeze.
9. Enjoy!