Roasted Garlic & Lemon Hummus

Hummus is always such a crowd pleaser and knowing how to make it has saved my bacon on more than one occasion because it’s such a superstar to have in your arsenal. A great hummus can be a party dish, a starter, the thing you put out when a friend drops by for coffee or drinks, the space filler on a cheese or charcuterie board or even the lunchbox snack you depend on. While I’m a big fan of my usual hummus recipe, this one is a little more elevated and it’s perfect for any parties or special dinners. It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free if served with vegetables or gluten-free pittas and perfectly acceptable for vegetarians & vegans as long as your dippers are suitable.

It might seem like I’ve gone overboard with the garlic here, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. Roasted garlic is sweeter and much more mellow than raw garlic, so it adds a beautifully subtle depth of flavour alongside the lemon which also takes on a sweetness after roasting. You’re not going to have a pungent punch of garlic from this hummus recipe, so don’t worry.

When you’re making this or any other hummus for that matter, it’s important to remember that nothing is being cooked except for the roasted elements in this recipe, so you want the best possible ingredients you can get. I’m a big fan of Napolina tinned chickpeas and I usually take the opportunity when I’m making hummus to reach for whatever really amazing extra virgin olive oil I have in my kitchen. I will also take a quick minute to say that the salt you use here is important. Sea salt flakes such as Maldon Salt, are what you want here. If you use fine table salt, it will be too salty. If that’s all you have, you can still use it, but divide the quantity by half. It is better though if you can invest in a small box of sea salt for your kitchen – it really does make a difference in lots of dishes and once you try it you might never go back!

This recipe does specify the use of a food processor and I can’t say enough about having one. I’ve lived without a food processor many times, but honestly if you can invest in one they are so handy and they make a lot of tasks so easy & quick. I probably wouldn’t try to make this recipe without a food processor or at the very least maybe a stick blender, but you could if you were willing to make the effort, use a fork to mash it by hand or a mortar & pestle. Let’s get started!

Ingredients

• All the cloves from a whole bulb of garlic, separated but left in their skins
• 3 lemons cut in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tins (400g each) of chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, plus a little more for serving
• 100ml water
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper & more sea salt if needed
• Additional olive oil for drizzling to serve
• Pitta, flatbreads or whatever dippers you prefer to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° Fan / 400°F.
2. Add the garlic cloves, the lemon halves, a pinch of salt and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a roasting tray or baking dish and use a spoon or spatula to stir it about until the lemons and garlic cloves are all glistening, coated with the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 1 hour. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes or so.
3. When the garlic & lemons are cooled, squeeze the flesh and whatever juice out of the lemon halves directly into the bowl of a food processor. Remove any pips or seeds as you go along. Now squeeze out the mushy flesh of the roasted garlic into the food processor bowl as well. Use a rubber spatula if you have one to get all the juice, oil and any crispy bits which are full of flavour out of the roasting tin into the bowl. Again, do remove any seeds if you see them – you don’t want them in there.
4. Add the chickpeas, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt flakes, Cayenne pepper, water, extra virgin olive oil and a crack of black pepper to the food processor and give it a whiz until it starts to combine and all come together. Keep pulsing if you need to until you get a texture you’re happy with. If it seems too dry, add a little more water and/or extra virgin olive oil, but do this a little at a time so it doesn’t end up being too wet. Check the seasoning and adjust it as needed then pop into a container and store in the fridge. I personally think this tastes better when it’s cold, after at least 2 to 4 hours of fridge time.
5. To serve, spoon into a serving dish and using the back of the spoon, swirl around the top to create little wells and grooves. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil across the top, letting it settle into the grooves and sprinkle a small amount of Cayenne pepper gently across the top to add a tiny bit of colour, but not so much that it becomes unbearable to eat. Serve with pitta bread, flatbreads, crackers, crudités or whatever you like.