Medieval Hummus

Recipe from Lucien Zayan

Adapted by Ligaya Mishan

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Medieval Hummus
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(668)
Comments
Read comments

The roots of this recipe, an ancestor of modern hummus, date back at least as far as the 13th century, as the Iraqi food historian Nawal Nasrallah writes on her blog, My Iraqi Kitchen. As adapted by Lucien Zayan, a Frenchman of Egyptian and Syrian descent who runs the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn, you boil chickpeas until their skins loosen and they reveal themselves, tender little hulks with souls of butter. Then you mash them in a swirl of tahini, olive oil, vinegar, spices and herbs, and fold in a crush of nuts, seeds and preserved lemon, sour-bright and tasting of aged sun. Notably absent from the recipe is garlic. Here, instead, the nuts — Mr. Zayan uses hazelnuts, for more butteriness, and pistachios, with their hint of camphor — fortify the chickpeas in their earthy heft, so close to the richness of meat. —Ligaya Mishan

Featured in: This Hummus Holds Up After 800 Years

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Ingredients

Yield:About 4½ cups
  • ⅓cup raw hazelnuts
  • 1½tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 1tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1½teaspoons sesame seeds
  • ¼cup shelled roasted unsalted pistachios
  • 5mint leaves
  • 1small sprig tarragon, leaves only
  • 3½cups cooked drained chickpeas (homemade from 8 ounces dried chickpeas or from two 15-ounce cans chickpeas)
  • ½cup tahini
  • ¼cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste (see Tip)
  • ½tablespoon ground sumac, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1½teaspoons rice vinegar
  • Salt
  • ½cup ice-cold water
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the hazelnuts, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the skins begin to split, 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. When cool, gently rub off the skins and discard.

  2. Step 2

    Using the same pan, toast the caraway, coriander and sesame seeds, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool slightly (the seeds will continue to toast).

  3. Step 3

    Add the toasted hazelnuts and the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until they release their oils and make a compact paste, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mint and tarragon and pulse to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Add the chickpeas to the mixture in the food processor, reserving a handful for garnish. Then add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, the toasted seeds, sumac, rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Start pulsing and gradually add the ice water, splash by splash, until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt, as desired.

  5. Step 5

    Spoon the hummus onto a plate. (If you like, use a piping bag and experiment with different tips for an artful presentation.) Drizzle with olive oil, dust with sumac and finish with a few chickpeas on top.

Tip
  • Instead of lemon juice, Lucien Zayan uses half of a preserved lemon (preferably made with minimal salt) and adds a splash of its liquid along with the ice water.

Ratings

4 out of 5
668 user ratings
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Comments

Michael

I prefer passing the cooked garbanzos through a food mill. It involves more work than a food processor, but it strains out the seed coating and produces a creamier puree.

capeMimi

I make hummus without tahini. Into the food processor: rinsed canned chick peas, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic cloves to taste, salt to taste. I add bits of water to loosen it up or add a roasted red pepper. For heat, sometimes I add a pinch of cayenne. To serve, I will spread on a plate, top with minced tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, chopped roasted pistachios, minced parsley and mint, then drizzle with olive oil. I think hummus takes a fair amount of salt to be tasty.

Judy

Some types of sumac (there are many) have white berries that can produce a painful, itchy skin rash similar to poison ivy. They are not eaten. The kind sold as a ground spice is from one of the red-berried varieties and is widely consumed in middle eastern dishes.

NS

Needs more citrus - maybe 2 preserved lemons? Makes 2x regular amount - blend in batches Def richer than standard

Jo

The best hummus! We do not miss the garlic. It is better.

M

You'll never get a smooth hummus if you don't go through the tedious trouble of removing the chickpea skins. Sorry!

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Credits

Adapted from Lucien Zayan

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