WW, 10:12 (rh)
One of an occasional series.
Last night we went out to a brewpub in town for beers after work. Matushka had Sprite, of course. We ordered a hummus plate. The hummus was not hummus, it was a chickpea dip that was sticky, mashy, and glarby. The hummus you get in the little tubs at the grocery store is not hummus either - some of it looks like it was extruded from a chickpea gun and is actually aerated or something.
Hummus is like frosting and should be room temperature. Sometimes people ask me how I make hummus and the answer usually makes them say - What!?
Peel the chickpeas.
If you are going to make hummus for yourself, maybe you can get by without doing this. If you are going to make professional level hummus, you probably can’t unless you are operating at a master level and know some kind of trick that I don’t. It’s easy to make professional level hummus. You just have to peel the chickpeas. The result will be smooth and should be a grayish to light tan color with peaks like frosting. There shouldn’t be any grit - and no air holes. You’re getting the “power” from the tahini and olive oil (”To make his face cheerful with oil”) and the protein from the chickpeas. You can use dried chickpeas and go whole hog, but I doubt anyone would be able to tell if you used the canned ones as long as you peel them because they will be amazed at the texture.
The other trick is the chick pea broth. Regardless of whether you are using canned or dried, you must save the broth from the can or pot because you won’t know how much you are going to need until you are almost done. You have to develop a relationship with the hummus while you are making it. If it sticks to the side of the processor and has a gap between the rotor thing and the product, it’s too clumpy and needs more chickpea juice. Use that instead of oil to add more liquid.
1 can chickpeas - peeled with juice or broth or whatever reserved
1/4 cup tahini that is at room temperature
1/4 olive oil
1 clove of garlic chopped up a bit
pinch of cinnamon
a little more cumin than cinnamon
juice of half a lemon
If you are using canned chickpeas don’t put any salt in at all - it’s in the broth.
Put the peeled chickpeas in the processor. Put the garlic bits in the processor. Put the tahini in the processor. Put the oil in the processor. Put the lemon juice in the processor. Pulse the processor a few times to begin to get everything chopped up. Use a spoon and push down the stuff on the sides. Run the processor for real for a little bit and look at what you are creating. I can guarantee it’s going to need chickpea broth now - otherwise you are on your way to making chickpea dip and not hummus. The amount of broth is probably more than you think.
This is the critical point in the process where the transformation is going to take place. We are creating something, but we are not cooking it. The transformation is when the oil, lemon juice, broth, and tahini emulsify and bind with all the chickpea stuff. If you are using canned chickpeas I’d recommend adding in about 1/4 of the broth to begin and then running the processor for a bit. If it doesn’t immediately start turning into a cohesive mass the transformation hasn’t taken place and you are going to need more broth. It almost always takes me a couple of additions to get the liquid right. Stop the processor while you are doing this, taste what you have, add a little juice and start the processor back up. Once you like what you have going, then let the processor run - for a long time. I’m thinking 45 seconds or so which is probably more than you think you should. It should be whipped by this point. Chickpea dip can’t do this. If it doesn’t whip like frosting then you don’t have enough liquid and it’s not hummus.
Once you have what you like - which you determine by tasting, of course - you add the cinnamon and the cumin and run the processor again. The transformation is done at this point and you are just mixing. You can add red pepper or whatever too if you want, it’s your hummus.
You can refrigerate this for a few days, but don’t serve it cold. Let it be at room temperature.
You can put some oil on top when you serve it, or paprika, or scorched butter, or whatever. You are trying to get as many calories out of the little chickpeas as you can.
If you are going to use chickpea flour, then you’re probably Arabic or Turkish and you don’t need to read this anyway.
