One of the things I love most about bread is the myriad of textures and flavours of what you can have on it or with it. Naturally nothing is better than a generous spread of quality butter on the crusty (and slightly burnt) end of a fresh baked loaf of sourdough.
I am also very partial to an ever so slightly heaped spread of creamy blue cheese like the Tarago River Cheese Company Shadows. of Blue from Gippsland in Victoria.
For an easy snack there is always bread and dip. But I do draw the line at commercial dips from supermarkets; often laden with vinegar and preservatives. One of my favourite dips is hummus the hallmark of Middle Eastern food.
I admit to being lazy on occasions in the past but I have reformed! No more canned chickpeas for me! The difference in hummus made with dried chickpeas diligently soaked overnight and then cooked slowly is unbelievable. There is softness in the texture and flavour without the tannic flavour often experienced with the canned product. Please give it a try with the recipe below. It isn’t much more time consuming than using canned chickpeas if you get yourself properly organised.
Do make the effort to ensure the dried chickpeas are fresh. Try a specialty food store rather than a supermarket. In Perth I love to shop in Kakulas Bros in Northbridge or Kakaulas Sister in Fremantle or Nollamara. The produce is always fresh and the spice aromas wonderful.
Ingredients
180gms chickpeas soaked overnight in water
Juice of one medium sized lemon
2 medium clove of garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste)
salt (approx 1 teaspoon, an extra half teaspoon if required when you taste the hummus)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Method
Place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover generously with cold water. Cover by at least 50mm.
Next day drain the chickpeas and boil gently in a similar amount of water for 1 to 2 hours until they are soft and creamy.
Drain through a sieve, reserving the cooking liquid. Blend in a food processor to a puree then add the teaspoon of salt, the garlic, the oil, tahini, lemon juice then 4 tablespoons of cooking liquid. Blend until you have a smooth creamy paste.
Now have a taste and add more salt, lemon juice, olive oil or cooking liquid to achieve a flavour and texture you are happy with.
The quantity given makes a generous 600ml of hummus; more than enough for a gathering of friends but if you are feeding a crowd, simply double the quantities.
We like to serve our hummus in a colourful ceramic dish with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sumac.
Don’t be shy about making your own version according to your tastes; add cumin to the dip or some toasted pinenuts.
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