Best Hummus Ever

This hummus is the most creamy, velvety, delightful that you will find. A creation of the master Ruth Reichl and definitely one of her finest! 

There may seem like a lot of steps to this recipe but it is absolutely worth it. Serve with crudites, crackers, use in salad dressings, on sandwiches, or wraps. It will keep for a couple of days but is best served immediately.

1½ cups dried chickpeas (the smallest you can find)
1 tablespoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ to ½ cup raw (as opposed to roasted) tahini - the best you can find.
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 garlic cloves 
salt, to taste
olive oil, to taste
parsley, to taste
cumin, to taste

1. Put the chickpeas in a colander and go through them carefully, discarding small stones and broken peas.

2. Wash the chickpeas, and put them in a bowl with enough water to allow them to double in volume. Stir in a tablespoon of baking soda and soak them overnight.

3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a large pot. Cover with about 5 cups of water (the water should be about 2 inches above the beans) and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, cover, and cook over low heat until the chickpeas are very soft; it should take about two hours. If the water cooks away, add more. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.

4. Rub the chickpeas between your fingers under cold running water to remove the skins. Put on some music; it’s a time-consuming process.

5. The chickpeas should be cool now. Make sure they are very cool or the texture will be too starchy. Put them in a food processor with the garlic, and lemon juice, a quarter cup of the cooking liquid and the tahini. (How much you use will depend on your taste; traditionally you’d use about half a cup, but I find that makes the sesame flavor too dominant for my taste.) Process for 4 or 5 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy, with the dreamy texture of just-made frozen custard. It should be very soft and smooth. If it’s too thick add more liquid. Add salt to taste.

Now’s the fun part. You have just created a lovely canvas. Top it with a glug of good olive oil, some chopped parsley, a smattering of ground cumin. Or toast some pinenuts in butter and top the hummus with that. Add cayenne, zatar, chopped onions or some pomegranate seeds. Be creative, or just revel in the best hummus you’ve ever had on its own.