Romesco Hummus

“To us, a bottle of good-quality olive oil is the Mediterranean sun made liquid.” -Yotam Ottolenghi, Flavor

I could not agree more. Olive oil is the base of flavor in this fun adaptation of the traditional middle eastern condiment made of chickpeas. So make sure you have a good quality olive oil, always check where it comes from and whether or not it is a blend.

I created this recipe for a catering event for my good friends at Yankee Street Farm. I wanted to get a bolder flavor for hummus and thought mixing a classic Romesco sauce into it would be wonderful. And so this lovely dip is made the way I was taught to make Romesco many years ago by my chef, with attention to each and every ingredient to draw out the best and fullest flavors.

It is certainly a process, but easy to do in parts and the results are well worth the work. I often double this recipe because it disappears quickly. I particularly love it as the base of a salad, as pictured above, or for breakfast smothering a piece of toast with a slice of tomato on top.

Romesco Hummus

Yield: About 2 cups

Active time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5-6 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (canned are fine, be sure to drain)

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First we will make the Pimento. Set the oven to broil on the high setting and the oven rack to the second highest position. Rub a little olive oil all over the red pepper and place on a sheet pan. Roast the pepper directly under the heat, using tongs to carefully turn it once each side has charred beautifully.

When the pepper is charred all over, place in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap immediately, pulling the plastic tight like a drum. Set aside to let cool.

Next, toast the almonds. Turn the broil function of the oven off, and set the oven to 350 F. Spread the almonds all over a sheet pan and toast in the hot oven for 5-6 minutes or until a golden brown. Watch the almonds carefully, they will burn very quickly, so be sure to set a timer. The rule is, if you can smell the nuts, they’re already burnt. Remove the almonds when they are finished toasting and pour into a bowl (leaving then on the sheet pan can cause them to overcook).

Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the garlic. Warm gently on medium low heat and cook the garlic slowly. Continue to cook the garlic in the oil, stirring to prevent scorching, until the garlic is golden and sweet smelling, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the almonds to the oil. Set aside to cool.

At this point the red pepper should be cool enough to touch. Peel the skin off the pepper, it may help to rinse here and there. Then cut the pepper open, or pull it apart and remove the seeds and stem.

Have the chickpeas, lemon juice and salt a pepper ready.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the oil, garlic and almonds with the pepper. Pulse to combine, then process until a smooth paste has formed. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice, pulsing just to combine. Then taste, and season to your liking. Remember that if you are using canned chickpeas, they are usually already salty, so be careful not to over salt.

Use a spatula to scrape out the hummus into a container. It will keep well sealed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.