Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Very Lemony Hummus

It's a good feeling to whip up a batch of homemade hummus on a Friday afternoon to have available for munching with root chips and veggies or slathering on a veggie sandwich over the weekend. I have my standard hummus recipe but I am always looking to try variations like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Very Lemony Hummus from River Cottage Every Day.

Hugh says, "You might like to try this hummus in a sandwich with sliced tomatoes and a smear of harissa paste, or with grated carrot and a few torn mint leaves. If you are short of time, instead of cooking dried chickpeas, you can use a tin, well drained and rinsed; add a little water to them for the initial puréeing."

Very Lemony Hummus
River Cottage Every Day or at RiverCottage.com
(Serves 4-6)

2/3 cup dried chickpeas
1 bay leaf
Juice of 2 lemons

1 small garlic clove, crushed with a little salt
2-3 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of ground cumin (optional) (I added 1/2 tsp cumin + 1/2 tsp smoked paprika to hummus)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly, then place them in a large bowl with enough water to cover them well. Leave to soak for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and put them in a saucepan with the bay leaf and enough cold water to cover generously. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and partially cover with a lid. Simmer gently for about 3 hours, until the chickpeas are really soft, skimming the surface and topping up with boiling water as necessary to keep the chickpeas covered. Add ½ teaspoon of salt near the end of cooking.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid, and discard the bay leaf. Put 3-4 tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid into a food processor or blender with half the chickpeas, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the garlic. Whiz for a few seconds. Add the remaining chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of tahini and 2 tablespoons of oil, then whiz again until you have the consistency you like.

Scrape into a bowl and season with salt and plenty of pepper. If you think it needs more oil, lemon juice or tahini, add a little at a time, beating well, until you're happy with the flavor. Top with a sprinkling of cumin, if you like.

 

Variation: Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, chervil or chives - or all three - to create a lovely, green-flecked purée.

Notes/Results: Although lemony isn't what I am usually going for when I make hummus, this was actually pretty balanced (you control the lemon and seasonings) and it tasted great--light and bright. I did put a bit of cumin and paprika into my hummus--which I think balanced the flavor even more. It is Friday and I was in a time crunch from a busy week so I used canned chickpeas in this hummus--actually boxed as I like Whole Foods 365 Brand no-salt added garbanzo beans and they are in a tetra-pack instead of a can. I think definitely cooking the beans from dry is best but in a pinch, they are a good substitute. My favorite snack is root veggie chips in hummus and so that's how I enjoyed it tonight--although I have a cucumber and red pepper and some naan bread I will probably dip into it over the weekend. I would happily make this hummus again.

Linking up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where the theme this week is Dippity Do Dah--dips and spreads from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

 
Happy Aloha Friday!