Hummus-Masbacha
Zahav — chef Michael Solomonov’s latest venture featuring modern Israeli cuisine — opened yesterday in Old City. Oh, you haven’t been yet? We’ll give you a sneak peek. Here, the recipe for Solomonov’s hummus-masbacha, a nutty hummus served with tehina-coated whole chickpeas.
Ingredients
1 lb. dry chickpeas
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 whole head of garlic with the skin on, plus one clove with the skin removed
2 c. unhulled sesame paste
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1/2 c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from Turkey or Israel)
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground cumin, to taste
1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley
To make hummus: Soak chickpeas and baking soda with at least double their volume of water for 18 hours in refrigerator. Drain the chickpeas and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Place the chickpeas in a large pot with whole head of garlic and cover with water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer chickpeas until very tender, approximately 3 hours. Drain chickpeas, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Discard garlic bulb. In food processor, add 1 1/2 cups sesame paste and all but 1 cup cooked chickpeas. Puree the mixture with grapeseed oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground cumin.
To make tehina: Combine the remaining lemon juice and sesame paste with garlic clove and 1/2 cup of warm water in a blender. Blend at high speed until smooth; add 1/2 cup olive oil. If the puree is too tight, adjust the consistency with additional warm water. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground cumin.
To serve: Spoon hummus into a large shallow bowl, creating well in the center of the hummus. In a mixing bowl, toss the reserved chickpeas with tehina. Spoon dressed chickpeas into the well. Garnish with chopped parsley and remaining olive oil. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Photo, Michael T. Regan