Smoked Hummus
| Prep | Total |
|---|---|
| 15 mins | 15 mins |
- 400g can of chickpeas, drained reserve the water in the can, known as *aquafaba*, and a few chickpeas for garnish. See notes for instructions on usi
- 1 garlic clove if it's large, just use half
- 4 tbsp hulled tahini mix well before use, see note 3
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- Sumac, to garnish optional
- Wood for cold smoking or
- Liquid smoke
- Smoke chickpeas according to instructions below (if not using liquid smoke).
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor except for the reserved chickpea water.
- Process - start the blender and slowly drizzle the reserved chickpea water in, until you get a thickness you're happy with.
- Continue processing the hummus until uniformly smooth and you're happy with the thickness. If you want to thin it out further and you're out of reserved chickpea water, slowly add tap water until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Taste seasoning and adjust with extra salt or lemon juice if required. If you're using liquid smoke, slowly add it in at this stage, processing after each drop until you have it tasting just smoky.
- Serve in a bowl, topped with olive oil, the reserved chickpeas and a dusting of sumac.
Smoking the chickpeas
For the best results, I recommend smoking the chickpeas for the hummus if you're able to do so.
Cold smoker
If you have a cold smoker, you can smoke the cooked chickpeas for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the wood you're using. Taste the chickpeas occasionally while smoking - you don't want an overpowering smoke on them.
Smoking gun
My preferred method for smoking the chickpeas is with a "smoking gun" - Breville and others make a handheld smoker. Simply add the cooked chickpeas to a glass bowl and cover with cling wrap. Insert the smoker nozzle through the plastic and allow the smoke to fill the bowl, remove the smoking hose, and add additional cling wrap so that the container is airtight.
Shake the bowl every few minutes to make sure that the smoke is evenly distributed and allow the chickpeas to remain in the smoke for at least 15 minutes. Repeat after this time if you feel they need more smoke.
Liquid smoke
Liquid smoke is a great alternative to using a smoker. It's easily obtainable online (i.e. from Amazon and other stores) - but use it sparingly as it's concentrated! Add a drop at a time while blending/processing the hummus until you get the taste you're after.
- Chickpeas - the liquid in the chickpea can is known as aquafaba and is the key for the best hummus. Reserve it when you drain the cans for thinning the hummus out. For the best hummus, you want soft chickpeas, so it can pay to try different brands of canned chickpeas to find the softest ones.
- Using dried chickpeas - you need around 250g of cooked chickpeas, so cook at least 100g of dried chickpeas. Soak for 8-12 hours, discard the water, add to a pot and cover with water. For the softest chickpeas, add 1/2 tsp of bicarb/baking soda. Simmer for about 45 minutes until very tender - top off water as required to make sure the pot doesn't boil dry.
- Tahini - use hulled tahini, and make sure to stir/shake/mix well before use. Tahini will split while sitting - you need to combine before using.
- Serving - serve with pita bread or my za'atar flatbreads, crackers or firm vegetables such as carrot and cucumber for dipping into the hummus, or as part of a meze spread.
- More substantial meal? Try my lamb hummus starter, served with my za'atar flatbread - it's incredible!
