Hummus

If using dried chickpeas, drain them well after soaking, then put them into a medium saucepan, for which you have a lid, with the ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and enough water to cover by about 4cm. Bring to a simmer on a medium-high heat, skimming the scum from the surface as needed, then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with the lid and simmer from anywhere between 30 and 50 minutes. This will differ greatly depending on your chickpeas, so check them at the 20-minute mark. Towards the last 15 minutes of cooking time, salt the water nicely and add the cumin. Cook your chickpeas until they are very soft.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, agitate your chickpeas, giving them a gentle shake in the water, allowing the skins to be released and rise to the surface. Discard the skins (don’t worry too much if you don’t catch them all). Skip to step 5.

If using tinned chickpeas, spread them out between two tea towels and use your hands to vigorously rub the towels together for a few minutes. Don’t press down too hard on the chickpeas; you don’t want to crush them. Lift the top towel, to see how you’re doing – the friction should have caused the chickpea skins to be released. Discard the skins.

Put the tinned (and now peeled) chickpeas into a saucepan with enough water to cover, 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of cumin. Simmer for 15 minutes, until soft.

Drain the chickpeas over a bowl, saving the water. Put the warm chickpeas into a food processor with 120g of tahini, the garlic, lemon juice, a couple of ice cubes (25g worth), 2 tablespoons of reserved chickpea water and a good pinch of salt. Blitz until smooth(ish), then check on your hummus. You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon and salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need. Don’t be shy about adding more tahini – each brand differs and may require you to use more. Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don’t worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits.

When ready, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, creating a well in the centre. (If not serving right away, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.) Top with a generous glug of olive oil, then personalise your hummus as you wish. We sometimes add herbs, toasted nuts or rose harissa, but these are just suggestions. Once you get the base right, hummus knows no bounds.