Homemade Hummus À La Hawthorne
A lot of the food I prepare is inspired by items my children have sampled, liked, and brought home, asking if I can replicate said item. Today’s offering is no exception. One of my little Hawthornelets showed up with a tub of undefinable matter and asked if I could reproduce it. Well, no, not exactly, but I can do better. And I did. It was hummus – a Middle Eastern side dish made from chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini (sesame seed paste). It’s an ideal dip – for parties, picnics, or everyday snacking. Hummus, literally “chickpeas” in Arabic, can be served with pita, crackers, crudités, chips, or, as in my case, with toasted seasoned tortilla triangles. I’m giving you my basic “starter version,” but know that there is a wide array of regional influences on hummus and variations in ingredients and preparation. That said, here’s Rosie’s interpretation – Hummus à la Hawthorne.
Hummus À La Hawthorne
Rosie Note: When I make hummus, I make a big batch, using the whole 1-lb. package of dried chick peas (garbanzo beans). This produces over a quart of prepared hummus. And I always used dried beans, never canned. The recipe can easily be scaled down for your purposes.
Lightly toast the sesame seeds until golden. Let cool. Put seeds in mini-processor, add a pinch of kosher salt, and pulse away. Slowly drizzle in a neutral-flavored olive oil, processing until the mixture is smooth. Again, I use Bertolli extra light olive oil since it doesn’t compete with the delicate flavor of the seeds. Use enough olive oil so you have a pourable finished product. (I like it more pourable than paste.)
To prepare chickpeas: When I decide to make hummus, I want it now. I don’t want to wait to soak beans overnight as most instructions call for, nor do I want to use canned chickpeas. The reason recipes call for soaking beans is to reduce the cooking time (a bit of irony in itself to soak for hours overnight to shorten maybe an hour of simmering), but I’ve discovered a method to cut back on the soaking and the cooking times. I use baking soda. Pour at least 2 quarts water in a large pot and stir in 2 teaspoons baking soda. Add the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. I simmer about 30-45 minutes, then drain the beans, refresh the water, and continue cooking until very tender – another 30-45 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
The purpose of the baking soda is to speed up the process.
It raises the pH level of the water, making the chickpeas more soluble, softening
the skins, therefore they cook quicker. The alkaline environment created
by the baking soda helps to dissolve the cell walls by breaking down the pectin
in the beans. The skins soften and the cell walls disintegrate allowing
the skins to be virtually rinsed away. I
get rid of all the skins. This results
in a smoother, creamier texture and a superior finished product.
One way I’ve found to make the peeling quicker and easier, is during the
refreshing of the water. I drain the
beans in a sieve, then put them back in the pot, running cold water over
them. Swish the beans around by
hand. The skins will automatically float
to the top and you simply tilt the pot to let them spill out. Tougher skins, I peel by hand.
To prepare the hummus:
Place garlic cloves and lemon juice in processor and pulse away. Add in tahini and prepared chickpeas and continue processing. I pour some of the drained cooking liquid (¼ - ⅓ cup) into the mixture to thin it out a bit, then I gradually pour in a neutral oil (¾ - 1 cup) while processing until mixture is a nice purée. Season to taste with kosher salt. Another trick I’ve found for achieving a creamier and silky-smooth hummus is to purée the chickpeas while they’re still warm.