6

Rantissi’s restaurant Kepos

& Co, in Sydney’s Waterloo,

is known for its rustic hummus

pounded tableside with a

mortar and pestle. On the other

hand, over the road at Kepos

Street Kitchen, Rantissi keeps it

smoother with a food processo

“There’s no right or wrong

hummus,” says Rantissi.

“Only your preference.”

Toolkit

T

he word hummus in Arabic means “chickpea”. Older

cookbooks list the dish as “hummus bi tahini”, covering

its two key ingredients. It’s an ancient invention, the recipe

first recorded in Cairo in the 13th century. Seen far and wide

in the Middle East and Mediterranean, hummus is made in many

different ways, some served hot, some served cold, and, of course,

everyone thinks their version is the best. Classically it was pounded in

a mortar, which will give you a more rustic (and, yes, grainier) texture

rather than the smoother food-processor version most of us are more

familiar with today. My version here is made with a food processor, the

garlic and lemon kept on the subtler side. I hope you enjoy it.

Step by step

liquid, discarding the puréed

garlic pulp. This method gives a

smoother result with a gentler

garlic taste.

5

Drain chickpeas. Reserve a

few for garnish, and blend

the rest in a food processor until

they’re reduced to a smooth

paste; this will take about 7 to

10 minutes. Add 400gm tahini,

the reserved garlic water, a

teaspoon of salt and a pinch of

cumin and blend well, scraping

sides occasionally and adding

more water if necessary.

6

Transfer to a large bowl and

whisk in 100ml lemon juice

(be gentle; you don’t want to

over-aerate the hummus and

lose its dense consistency).

Hummus will keep covered

in the fridge for 5 days.

Heavenly hummusCanned chickpeas never have quite the same

flavour or silkiness, but simmering them for 20 minutes before

blending improves their texture. Good dried chickpeas are the key;

I use Kabuli chickpeas, from a grower in Toowoomba. Good tahini

also makes a diference. I find hulled tahini creamier and less bitter

than unhulled; the Durra brand is my favourite. To garnish, use olive oil,

cumin, paprika, toasted pine nuts or chopped parsley, or make a meal

of it with sautéed minced meat, or mushrooms and onion. Topping

hummus with burnt butter makes for next-level lusciousness.●

1

In a large saucepan or bowl

soak 150gm chickpeas in

cold water (at least 4 times the

quantity of the dried chickpeas)

for at least 12 hours – overnight

is good. I like to change the

water a few times to get rid

of any impurities or odours

produced by soaking to keep

the flavour of the hummus clear.

2

Drain the chickpeas and

rinse well. Transfer to a

large saucepan with a lid. Cover

with at least double the quantity

of water to the chickpeas and

bring to the boil. Simmer briskly

for 2 hours, topping up the

water as necessary. Some

cooks salt the water, but I have

never added salt to the soaking

or cooking water. I don’t like

any interference in the way the

chickpeas are hydrated; I

believe they soak up more

water when they’re not salted.

3

After 2 hours, if the

chickpeas have softened,

add ¼ teaspoon of baking

powder. (If not, continue

cooking until they soften up

more.) The baking powder

helps soften the outer shell of

the chickpeas to give a softer

and creamier hummus without

lumps. It also helps to soften

the inner part of the chickpea.

Cook for a further hour or until

chickpeas start to break down

but are not mushy.

4

Blend 5 garlic cloves in a

food processor with 200ml

water until very smooth. Pour

through a sieve and keep the

3

5

6

Masterclass

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PHOTOGRAPHY ALICIA TAYLOR. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN. FOOD PREPARATION PETA DENT

GOURMET TRAVELLER 33