PERFECTLY BALANCED HUMMUS

In “Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking” (Artisan, $35), Einat Admony writes that the key to achieving smooth, silky hummus is to simmer the soaked dried chickpeas with a little baking soda to help soften them. Some serious hummus buffs insist on skimming off the chickpea skins for an even airier texture, but others don’t bother, claiming it weakens the flavor and removes nutrients. Your choice. If you’re short on time, start with 5 cups of canned, drained chickpeas and proceed as directed. 2 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, preferably small ones

1 teaspoon baking soda,

divided

3/4 cup best-quality raw

tahini

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher

salt

Freshly ground black

pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 garlic cloves, smashed 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 6 tablespoons ice water,

divided Chopped fresh parsley

(optional), for garnish Sweet paprika

(optional), for garnish Classic Tahini Sauce (optional, see recipe), for serving Harissa, store-bought or homemade (optional), for serving

Pick through the chickpeas and discard any little stones or peas that look very irregular in color or in shape. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly under cold water. Transfer them to a large bowl and add cold water to cover them by 3 to 4 inches. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the baking soda. Soak for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer the chickpeas to a large pot, pour in 3 quarts cold water, and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook at a lively simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Use a slotted spoon to skim off any skins on the surface (the more skins you are able to remove, the smoother your hummus will be).

When the chickpeas are fully tender, but not yet getting at all mushy, scoop out about 1 cup and set aside to use as a garnish. Cook the rest of the chickpeas until they are completely soft, slightly broken down, and can easily be smushed with your fingers, another 20 minutes.

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water and set another large bowl on top. Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to the bowl. You should have about 5 cups (plus the reserved 1 cup). Let the chickpeas cool completely. Or, if you are not in a hurry, transfer the chickpeas to the fridge and chill them for a few hours or up to overnight. If you’re so inclined, you can pick off more skins at this point.

Put the chilled chickpeas in a food processor and add tahini, lemon juice, salt, a few twists of pepper, cumin, garlic, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Puree until smooth. If the hummus seems too thick, add the remaining ice water a bit at a time and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (If not serving at once, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

To serve, gently reheat the reserved 1 cup cooked chickpeas. Spoon the hummus into shallow serving bowls (you may plate your hummus individually or serve it family-style), spreading it around the rim of the bowls, leaving a crater in the center. Add the warm cooked chickpeas to the crater (2 tablespoons for an individual serving or up to the full 1 cup for a large plate). Sprinkle with parsley, drizzle with oil, and very lightly dust with paprika. Serve at once with optional Classic Tahini Sauce and harissa.

Serves 10-12 (makes about 4 1/2 cups).

Per tablespoon: 50 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 2 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 81 milligrams sodium.