Hummus

Method

1. Soak 400 g of dried chickpeas in plenty of water for 12 hours or overnight. They will double or triple in volume.
2. Drain the chickpeas, place them in a pot with fresh water, and cook without salt or aromatics for about 1 to 1.5 hours until very tender. Reserve some cooking water.
3. In a blender, add the cooked chickpeas with a little of their cooking water and blend until smooth. Start at low speed, then increase to high.
4. Add 1-2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste) per 200 g of dried chickpeas (so for 400 g dried, use 2-4 tablespoons). Also add lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons), 1 clove of crushed garlic, salt to taste, and a pinch of ground cumin and paprika if desired.
5. Blend again until very creamy, adding more water if needed to reach desired consistency.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning (tahini can be salty; add more tahini or lemon as needed).
7. Transfer to a serving plate. Use a fork to create grooves in the surface.
8. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika, ground cumin, chopped parsley, and chili flakes if desired.