Hummus 'Resturant Style'

By Kwasome

**Chickpeas are the foundation of this recipe, so they need to be good. While the flavor of dried-bean hummus is superior to the canned-bean version, canned beans produce perfectly acceptable results, especially considering their convenience. But tasters found surprising quality variations among canned beans (see related taste test). In theory, the best way to guarantee a creamy texture is to remove the chickpeas’ tough skins, but we couldn’t find an approach that wasn’t tedious or futile. The food processor, while it couldn’t remove all the graininess when we pureed the chickpeas alone, did produce the desired texture when we used it to make an emulsion (much like mayonnaise). We started by grinding just the chickpeas and then very slowly added a small amount of water and lemon juice. To finish, we whisked the olive oil and tahini together and drizzled the mixture into the puree while processing; this created a smooth, light emulsion. For the best flavor, we chose our tahini carefully (see related taste test) and used it generously. Tasters liked the earthy undertones of cumin and the subtle heat of a pinch of cayenne pepper, and agreed that a modest amount of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil kept the flavors balanced.
**
We recommend Joyva or Krinos tahini and Pastene chickpeas. The hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 days. If you do not plan on serving it immediately, refrigerate the hummus and garnishes separately. When ready to serve, stir in approximately 1 tablespoon of warm water if the texture is too thick.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 tablespoons tahini , stirred well (see note)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for drizzling
• 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed (see note)
• 1 small garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press
• (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine lemon juice and water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

2. Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.