Hummus

Course Side Dish

1 can 19 oz / 540 grams chickpeas/garbonzo beans ( see notes on soaking/boiling/gas )
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp kosher salt ( use 1/8 tsp less if using table salt )
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil ( plus another tbsp for garnish )
3-4 tbsp tahini ( optional )
3 tbsp ice-cold water, or ice cubes add more after processing if it seems dry

Start with 2.5 tbsp olive oil and the rest of the main ingredients in a food processor or blender, and puree.
If the mixture seems too dry, and more olive oil.
Plate, garnish, serve. It's that easy.

You can soak the chickpeas overnight, but I find that boiling (starting with cold water) for 45 minutes, drain, and cool in a large bowl of ice-cold water 3" above the chickpeas, rub off the hulls, and scoop them off the top - they float. This has the wonderful side effect of making you a bit less gassy. The tradeoff is less fiber and an extra hour of prep time. You can also boil 6-ish cloves of garlic with the chickpeas to make them much more mellow and buttery.
Ultra-hardcore method for the smoothest hummus is to take 500 g dried chickpeas, soak them overnight, rinse and drain, put in a pot with 1 tsp baking soda, cover with 2" of water, and bring to a boil. The foam that appears needs to be stirred back in. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 1/2 hour, then put a lid on and cook another 30-60 minutes. Remove the lid and allow any excess water to evaporate. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely. Puree 4 minutes in a food processor (scrape sides every minute), and add (one at a time): 70g ice until lighter and smooth, 250g tahini until fluffy, 75 ml lemon juice & 2 tsp salt. Adjust to taste. Here's where we can add garlic, cumin, or any other flavourings.