Silky hummus: whip the tahini
Tahini is ground sesame seeds, mostly oil. Whip it with lemon juice and ice water. It stiffens first, then loosens into a pale, fluffy emulsion: tiny droplets of oil and water held together by sesame particles. Keep whisking through the stiff stage.
Cook chickpeas soft, then blend long
Cook chickpeas until they mash easily between your fingers. A pinch of baking soda in the water raises the pH, which helps the pectin in the skins and flesh break down. Then blend for several minutes, scraping down the sides.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Your tahini turned thick and stiff when you added liquid. What fixes it?
Keep blending, adding cold water by the spoonful. Gradual water and steady mixing build a smooth, pale emulsion.
True or false: Chickpea skins melt away in the blender, so removing them makes no difference to smoothness.
False. Skins can leave tough flecks, so removing them gives a smoother result.
What went wrong? You blend firm, barely cooked chickpeas for 30 seconds. The hummus comes out gritty and stiff.
Firm chickpeas got only a short blend. Cook them very soft and blend for several minutes for a silky texture.
Fill the blank: Whipping tahini with water makes a creamy ___, with tiny droplets held in suspension.
Whipping tahini with water makes a creamy emulsion, with tiny droplets held in suspension. Tiny droplets of oil and water held together make an emulsion.