Hummus with Maiitake & Oyster
Mushrooms
Serves 6
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| Hummus with Maiitake & Oyster Mushrooms |
This basic hummus recipe is super
smooth and rich in tahini augmented with cumin and a lot of lemon. But, it
should be regarded as a sublime base – use as is – or enhance with toppings of
your choice. I chose Hummus with Maiitake and Oyster Mushrooms for this recipe.
The silky, cumin-laced hummus gets a contrasting texture and a savory boost
from the tangle of mushrooms on top. But, you could certainly serve the hummus
alone with a drizzle of olive oil, or turn it into a very substantial meal with
the addition kawarma (lamb) & lemon (for a future blog!)
Political and nationalistic
discussions about hummus – where it started and how; who first added sesame
paste, crushed chickpeas – are endless. Many feel that it was the Egyptian
Arabs who first made hummus, though celebrated Jewish author Meir Shalev feels
there is clear evidence that Jews ate hummus in biblical times. Regardless of origin,
one is still left with who makes the best hummus now. Top quality tahini is a
key ingredient. This paste is made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. It is
creamy, oily and smooth with a nut butter consistency and rich in calcium. Look for tahini in a glass
jar or can, in the ethnic food aisle of your grocer or in health food stores.
You can also find fresh tahini in the refrigerator section next to the prepared
hummus in larger well-stocked grocers.
This recipe is a good springboard to
begin your quest of the best hummus. You will be amazed how truly simple it is
to make – to the point of wondering why you would ever opt for grocery store
hummus of questionable age and ingredients.
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| Key ingredients |
For Hummus:
- ¼ C dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 6½ C water
- 1 C plus 2 Tb tahini paste
- Juice from 2-3 large lemons
- 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and finely chopped (optional; see http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html or can purchase at the grocery store)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6½ Tb ice-cold water
- Salt
For Mushroom topping:
- 1 C pine nuts
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
- Canola oil, for frying
- 1 lb thinly sliced mushrooms, oyster and maiitake mix
- Kosher salt
- Parsley, chopped for garnish (garnish)
- Sweet paprika, for garnish
- Olive oil for garnish
To make hummus: The night before, put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover
them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.
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| Soak the chickpeas overnight |
The next day, drain the chickpeas.
Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes,
stirring constantly. Add the water, optional ¼ of the chopped preserved lemon and
bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it does not boil over. Cook, skimming off
any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to
cook between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on type and freshness. Once done,
they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your
fingers, almost but not quite mushy.
Drain the chickpeas. You should have
roughly 3½ C now. Place the cooked chickpeas in a food processor and process
until you get a stiff paste. With the machine running, add the tahini paste, fresh lemon juice, and
remainder of the preserved lemon, cumin,
garlic and 2 tsp salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a
very smooth and creamy paste.
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| Chopped preserved lemons....these are homemade, but now can be purchased |
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| In the food processor and ready to blend |
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| Smooth consistency after processing |
Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover
the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If
refrigerating, make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes
before serving.
To make Mushrooms:
Heat oven to 300 degree F. Toss pine nuts and olive oil in a bowl until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking
sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set
aside.
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| Toasted pine nuts |
Pour canola oil to a depth of 2 inches in a 6 qt Dutch oven; heat over
medium-high heat until a deep fry thermometer reads 350 degree F. Working in
batches, add mushrooms, and fry
until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season
immediately with kosher salt.
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| Sliced oyster mushrooms |
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| Frying the mushrooms |
Spread hummus on bottom of a serving
dish, forming a shallow well in the center; fill well with fried mushrooms and
pine nuts. Sprinkle with chopped parsley
and paprika and drizzle with olive
oil. Serve with pita or flat bread
to accolades.
Hummus can be stored in the
refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for future use. It can be eaten as
described here or simply spread on a plate, drizzled with your favorite high
quality finishing olive oil, and eaten with a pita or bread.
Larue
This recipe was adapted from “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by Yotam Ottolenghi
& Sami Tamimi
