For company
Hummus — velvet, lemon, and a lot of garlic
The quiet anchor of every table I set. Silky, lemony, and generous with the garlic — because garlic is the mother of all game-changers.
Do not skimp on the garlic. Three cloves is polite. Four is right. Five and your guests will ask for the recipe.
Method
- 01
For the smoothest hummus, pinch the papery skins off the chickpeas — five minutes of quiet work that changes the texture completely.
- 02
In a food processor, blitz the garlic with the lemon juice for 30 seconds and leave to sit for a minute — this mellows the raw bite while keeping all the perfume.
- 03
Add the tahini and salt and process until pale, thick and creamy — about a minute. Scrape down the sides.
- 04
Add the chickpeas and cumin. Blitz for a full 3–4 minutes, drizzling in iced water a spoonful at a time, until the hummus is pillow-soft and silky. Do not rush this step — the long blend is what makes it velvet.
- 05
Taste. More salt? More lemon? Another clove of garlic (the mother of all game-changers)? Adjust.
- 06
Spoon into a wide shallow bowl, use the back of the spoon to make a swirl, pour a generous slick of olive oil into the well, scatter with paprika, whole chickpeas and a little parsley. Serve with warm pita, torn straight from the oven.
Keep cooking
