Recipe: This Is the Best Hummus Ever

Chef Einat Admony is not well known outside New York City, where she owns and operates three restaurants — Taïm, Balaboosta, and Bar Bolonat — but she is almost single-handedly responsible for popularizing modern Israeli cuisine in downtown Manhattan. She's cooked for the Israeli army, lived a gypsy's life in Europe, and worked at some of best kitchens in New York. Here, she shares her family's recipe for hummus.

You think you know how to make hummus, and you certainly can throw a few handfuls of soaked chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor and whip it until it's smooth. But Admony's recipe contains a few key secrets. First, she cooks dried chickpeas and chills them very quickly — temperature is key here — and then, at the end of the whirring process, she splashes in a bit of ice-cold water. The result is the creamiest hummus you've ever made, and your new go-to summer party appetizer.

My Hubby's Hummus, by Einat Admony
Makes about 5 cups

3 cups dried chickpeas
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup tahini (I prefer the White Dove brand)
3 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika, for garnish

Put the chickpeas and 1 ½ teaspoons of the baking soda in a bowl. Add cold water to cover and leave to soak overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a large pot of water. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda and bring to a boil. Boil until the chickpeas are tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Skim off any floating shells.

Drain, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and let the chickpeas cool completely.

Combine the chickpeas, garlic, reserved liquid (see Note), tahini, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt cumin, and pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.

When ready to serve, put the hummus on a plate or in a shallow bowl, and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and paprika.

The hummus can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

NOTE: If you forget to reserve the cooking liquid, you can substitute 1 cup ice-cold water. But using the cooking liquid will give the hummus a richer, bolder flavor.

Video: Mastering Middle Eastern Spreads with Einat Admony