Bubala's hummus with burnt butter

Method

• step 1

  Tip the chickpeas into a large bowl, cover with plenty of water and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas and transfer to a large pan. Cover with plenty of cold water, add the bicarbonate of soda and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hr 30 mins. Remove 100g of the chickpeas to a bowl using a slotted spoon, and set aside for later. Continue to simmer the remaining chickpeas for a further 1 hr 30 mins or until they are very soft and tender. You may need to top up the water – there should always be about 10cm of water above the chickpeas. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and leave to cool.

• step 2

  Toss thew reserved chickpeas with 1 tsp of the lemon juice, the olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then set aside. Tip all the cooled, cooked chickpeas into a high-powered blender. Peel the garlic cloves and add these to the blender along with the remaining lemon juice, the cumin and 1 tsp of salt, plus 150ml of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until completely smooth – you want to make sure the hummus churns easily, so if the hummus is too thick at this stage and keeps getting caught in the blender, add up to 3 tbsp of the cooking liquid. Add the tahini and blitz again until smooth. This will make the hummus thicker, so add a splash more cooking liquid if needed.

• step 3

  To make the burnt butter, melt the butter in a small pan over a medium-high heat for 5 mins until foaming and smelling nutty. Once the butter is golden brown, strain through a square of muslin or j-cloth, and discard the solids. Stir in the paprika and a pinch of salt. Keep warm until ready to serve.

• step 4

  To serve, spoon the hummus into a large serving dish, creating a well in the centre. Pour over the butter and garnish with the dressed chickpeas and parsley. Serve straightaway.