Creamy Dreamy Hummus

Creamy Dreamy Hummus by Baking The Goods.

Do you believe in love at first sight? That moment when the whole world shuts out except for the single object of your complete and undivided affection? It’s like a black hole that sucks you in, then overtakes your entire existential self, sending you spinning in a dopamine induced orbit until your knees knock and tunnel vision takes over. The sound is off. You’ve lost all visual contact and the only thing you know to be true is this uncontrollable gravitational pull towards this feeling. 

Oops, I meant do you believe in love at first bite? All the above rules still apply. For me, there isn’t much difference between love at first sight and love at first bite. That’s why when I visited Portland, OR, my home away from home, back in August, I made a beeline for the hottest spot on the restaurant scene, Tusk. With a blush pink theme in their branding and general vibe, Tusk feels like a big fat slice of LA was delicately placed right there on E Burnside. Pale and pretty details are anchored by a larger than life print of Keith Richards floating flawlessly in a pool. It dominates the wall space over the bar. I was smitten the moment I spotted Keith, but what really did me in was that first taste of the creamy dreamy hummus from Tusk. It got me again when I sheepishly came back for another hit less than a week later. 

After back to back visits and trying damn near everything on the menu, I could not shut up about the food. Especially that creamy dreamy hummus. I was like a giddy school girl in puppy love, telling anyone who would listen about all of the colorful, flavor packed dishes. I told strangers at bars to go there, and described every bite to my friends back home in CA.

The Tusk hummus was served with a slightly tangy, ultra-fluffy pita bread that is anything but flat, it sent my head and my heart spinning. The dukkah is downright delightful. And don’t even get me started on the salads. So fresh, and so real.

The original recipe comes from the brilliant mastermind/Executive Chef behind Tusk, Sam Smith. Lucky for us, he’s shared his silky smooth hummus recipe and hot tips on getting that picture perfect hummus swirl in the July 2017 issue of Bon Appetit.

In my recipe here for Creamy Dreamy Hummus, I’ve adapted his version, just slightly, by loading up on the lemon juice (I like it bright and zesty) and topping it off with spicy chile oil, fresh parsley, and toasted nigella seeds for a nutty crunch. I whiz it up in a food processor until it’s light and airy and as smooth as silk. I’ve already made a few batches of this snackable, silky hummus and I just can’t get enough.  I like to serve it with a piping hot stack of my Pita Bread and a side sipper of my an easy OR Pinot Noir Rosé by Acrobat. 

Alright, I’ll stop acting like that one friend who dominates girl’s night by talking incessantly about the new hunk she met on Bumble. But just promise me one thing? If you live in Portland or plan to visit soon, you’ll pop in for dinner at Tusk. And maybe if you want to experience the magic carpet ride from the comfort of your own home, make this version the Creamy Dreamy Hummus. Just prepare your head and your heart, because you’re bound to fall in love at first bite. 

It doesn’t take a whole host of ingredients to make Creamy Dreamy Hummus, it just takes a little inside knowledge.

One pro move to infusing the hummus with flavor is to simmer the chickpeas along with some the garlic, bay leaf and arbol chilefor 35-45 minutes. This really locks in the flavor.

To mellow the garlic potency out, let it soak in the lemon juice for a few minutes.

Adding ice cold water to the tahini helps to whip it up in an airy smooth base.

While the food processor is whizzing, gently feed in a slow and steady stream of olive oil so it fully blends in.

Finally, add the chickpeas and cumin then whiz that thing for at least 2 full minutes, possibly longer, until it is loose and almost pourable.

Once you’ve whizzed up that hummus real good in the food processor, it should be almost pourable. If it’s still too thick, thin it out with the reserved chickpea cooking liquid.

Get that showstopping swirl. 1. Use a large spoon to dollop a round heap of hummus in the center of the plate. 2. Smooth move: with the tip of the spoon in the center of the hummus dollop, push the spoon down and rotate while you spin the plate in the opposite direction. 3. Fill the divot with a smaller spoonful of hummus. 5. Then repeat the same plate spinning motion to create a second smaller swirl in the center. 5. You know what’s up, dollop a smaller glob and start that same swirl action. 6. Done and done. Look at the sweet little swirl!

Spice it up with a drizzle of hot chile oil. I made a Tusk-esque version by infusing olive oil with Aleppo chiles.

Serve this Creamy Dreamy Hummus up with a steamy stack of homemade pita bread, a bottle of Oregon’s best Rosé from Acrobat and some briney castelvetrano olives and this snack spread is what my dreams are made of. PS, that little matchbook at postcard are souvenirs I brought back from Tusk. <3

Don’t you just want to crawl in there and take a nap (with 1970’s Keith Richards) in that creamy dreamy hummus swirl?

Creamy Dreamy Hummus

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• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups

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Description

This creamy dreamy hummus has a lot of flavor with minimal ingredients & effort. The light & airy, silky smooth texture is what hummus dreams are made of.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 garlic cloves (- 2 smashed, 1 finely grated)
• 1 dried red chile (- such as chile de árbol)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (- freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (- fresh)
• 1–2 tablespoons nigella seeds (- aka black sesame seeds (or white sesame seeds))
• spicy chile oil (- to taste)

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Instructions

1. Combine chickpeas and baking soda in a medium bowl and pour in cold water to cover by 2″. Cover and let sit 8–12 hours.
2. Drain chickpeas, rinse, and place in a large saucepan along with the 2 smashed garlic cloves, chile, and bay leaf. Pour in cold water to cover by 2″. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer gently, skimming foam occasionally from surface, until chickpeas are falling apart, 35–45 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 cup cooking liquid. Remove and discard garlic, chile, and bay leaf.
3. Combine grated garlic, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and let sit until the bite in garlic mellows, about 5 minutes. Add tahini and ½ cup ice water and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream in oil. Season with another 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 
4. Add chickpeas and cumin and process until hummus is very smooth, light, and creamy, at least 2 minutes. It will tighten up as it cools, so it should be loose to the point of being pourable at this stage. If it looks thick, thin with chickpea cooking liquid, pulsing in by the tablespoonful until you reach the right consistency.
5. Taste hummus and season with salt and more lemon juice if needed.
6. To serve, spread it on a pretty plate and give it that perfect swirl. Top with hot chile oil, chopped parsley and nigella seeds to taste. 

Notes

* This smooth and silky hummus recipe was adapted from the original recipe by Sam Smith of Tusk in Portland, OR featured in Bon Appétit magazine. 

*  see notes in blog post above for that swoonworthy swirl technique.

*  Serve with fresh baked, homemade pita bread.

*  Hummus can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes