Feast

Hommus is a Levantine dip that has gone completely global, and as such the name has become generic to describe any kind of dip, whether made with chickpeas or not—hommus means “chickpeas” in Arabic. You can make it with dried chickpeas, which you’ll need to soak overnight, or you can shorten the preparation considerably by using already cooked chickpeas preserved in salted water—I like those preserved in glass jars rather than cans. You will need about 2½ cups (400g) of preserved chickpeas, drained and rinsed before using. And for the ultimate hommus, you also need to peel the cooked chickpeas, not one by one but rather by rubbing them slightly against each other to loosen the skins, then either picking out the skins or running cold water while swirling the chickpeas with your hand to let the skins float to the surface so that you can skim them.

SERVES 4

Just over 1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water with 1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup (180 ml) tahini

Juice of 2 lemons, or to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced to a fine paste

Fine sea salt

FOR THE GARNISH

Aleppo pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flatbread, for serving

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a saucepan, cover well with cold water, and place over a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 1 to 1½ hours, or until very tender.

2. Drain the chickpeas, keeping some of the cooking water in case you need to thin the puree later. Put in a food processor together with the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic and process to a smooth puree. Transfer to a mixing bowl. If the dip is too thick, use a little of the cooking liquid to thin it down—the dip should be creamy but not runny. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then spoon into a shallow round or oval bowl. Spread across the dish, raising the dip slightly around the edges and in the center. Sprinkle the raised edges and the center with Aleppo pepper and drizzle a little olive oil in the groove inside the edges. Serve with good flatbread either on its own or as part of a mezze spread.