Jerusalem: Basic Hummus

I don't know why I decided now was the time to whip up a homemade hummus, but here we are.  Maybe it was the bag of beautiful Rancho Gordo garbanzo beans.  Maybe it was because I needed to make something not specifically linked to a holiday.  Whatever prompted it, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good and yet easy it was.  Biggest hassle is just remembering to soak the beans overnight.

Note: I felt like my dip needed a little more salt and lemon juice; just taste and adjust as you see fit.  I topped mine with a very nice olive oil and some dukkah I had laying around in the fridge, but there are also much fancier versions in the cookbook.

Basic Hummus
From Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

1¼ cups dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon baking soda
6½ cups water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
6½ tablespoons ice-cold water
Kosher salt

The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook 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.

Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3⅔ cups 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 teaspoon salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straightaway, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings