Hummus is always welcome with drinks at our house. Although it is classically made with chickpeas, I have made it with both cannellini and black beans. If you cook the chickpeas yourself, it will take about 2½ hours starting with cold water, but you can use canned. I garnish the hummus with crumbled feta cheese, sunflower seeds, a little olive oil, and Spanish paprika for a beautiful reddish top. Serve it with crackers, pita chips, or crudités, my choice here. Shorey loves raw vegetables, and she often eats hummus with radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, and broccoli as well. This is a great dish to make for a kids’ party, and it can be prepared ahead.
Serves 6 to 8
If using canned chickpeas, drain them and reserve ¼ cup of the liquid.
Process the garlic in a food processor for 10 seconds. Add the drained chickpeas, the reserved ¼ cup liquid, the lemon juice, chili sauce, and salt. Process for 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl with a rubber spatula and process the mixture for another 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and, with the processor running, add the olive oil. Continue processing for about 1 minute, until the hummus is very smooth and creamy.
Spread the hummus in a gratin dish; it should be about 1½ inches deep. Smooth the top and sprinkle on the paprika and then the oil, so the paprika combines with the oil. Scatter the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and chives. Arrange the vegetables around the edges and serve.
To see how it’s done, go to www.surlatable.com/jacquespepin.