BLACK HOUMOUS WITH PITTA CRISPS

SWAPPING regular tahini for black sesame paste in this houmous transforms the colour but also subtly changes the taste. Black sesame seeds are less sweet than the lighter, cream-coloured ones, and have an earthy nuttiness that goes brilliantly with the rosemary and garlic in this dip. Black sesame paste can be found in Asian supermarkets as it’s a staple in Japanese cooking, where it is often sweetened with honey and used in pastries, puddings and ice cream.

SERVES 4

● 4 pitta breads

● 2-3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

● Sea salt

● 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

● 80g black sesame paste

● 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

● 1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped

● Juice of 1-2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6. Cut each pitta bread into eight triangles. Split open each triangle and separate the halves, removing any bready dough inside.

arrange the triangles in a single layer on two baking trays, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt before placing in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Put the chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, rosemary, two tablespoons of olive oil and the juice from one lemon into a food processor. Season with salt and blend until you have a smooth paste. taste the houmous and add more olive oil, lemon juice and salt as necessary.

take the pitta crisps out of the oven and turn them over, removing the thinner ones that have already crisped up. return the trays to the oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until all the remaining triangles are golden brown and crunchy.

transfer the houmous to a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving with the pitta crisps.