Before you think this is yet another hummus recipe, think again. This CONFIT GARLIC HUMMUS WITH GRILLED MUSHROOMS is absolutely unlike any other hummus recipe I’ve seen or tasted. And seeing that you’ve landed on this page reading this, I think you saw something here that had you thinking the same! This recipe is from the cookbook OTTOLENGHI FLAVOR co-authored by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. And it is the reward for your keen perception 😉
Yotam Ottolenghi is the man behind the acclaimed restaurant NOPI in London, England, who rarely needs introduction. I think of him as the Godfather of Vegetables. He is brilliant at showcasing vegetables in a light that makes them exciting, sexy and flavourful. Ixta Belfrage has been a chef in Yotam’s test kitchen for years and at NOPI before that. Ixta incorporates flavours familiar to her by way of her mix of background and upbringing from Italy, Brazil and Mexico in the co-creation of these 100+ recipes in FLAVOR, elevating vegetables to an unparalleled level. The first recipe I immediately made from this book was the Miso Butter Onions and yes, they were one hundred percent as good as it sounds. I’ve also made Noor’s Black Lime Tofu using a fascinating new-to-me ingredient of black lime powder and I’ve got my eye (and corners folded down) on the recipes for Spicy Mushroom Lasagne, and Broccoli with Mushroom Ketchup and Nori.
But you’re here for this CONFIT GARLIC HUMMUS WITH GRILLED MUSHROOMS. I can’t tell you how excited I am to share it. Loads of garlic (two heads) is roasted in oil in the oven to flavour the smooth and creamy hummus. But it’s the mushroom topping that gives this dish its OH-MY-GOD swoon factor. A mix of cremini and shiitake mushrooms are grilled and then marinaded in garlic, lemon juice and peel, thyme, maple syrup and dried cascabel chile. I’ve never cooked with dried cascabel chile before this. It’s pronounced kahs-kah-BEL which means “rattle” in Spanish, because after they’re dried, the seeds rattle around inside. They are small and very round with a little stem. To me, they almost look like a cherry, except larger and darker with its deep reddish brown colouring. They are only moderately spicy with an earthy, nutty, slightly smokey flavour. In this recipe, you simply toast it up on the grill pan for a few minutes, roughly chop it up and add it right into the mushroom marinade. I hope you seek it out to make this so you don’t miss out its beautiful nuance!
Thanks so much to the publisher Appetite by Random House for granting me permission to share this incredible CONFIT GARLIC HUMMUS WITH GRILLED MUSHROOMS recipe with you! It is such a treat, you guys. Leave a comment below to let me know what you think or tag me on instagram if you make it too. I love to see.
Eat well and be well.
Sonia x
CONFIT GARLIC HUMMUS WITH GRILLED MUSHROOMS
Excerpted from Ottolenghi Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. Text copyright © 2020 Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. Photography © 2020 by Jonathan Lovekin. Illustrations © 2020 by Nishant Choksi. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
The hummus will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, covered with a little oil so the surface doesn’t form a crust. The mushrooms, however, are best grilled on the day of serving, as they become limp and less meaty when they spend time in the fridge.
Serves 4 as a side or as part of a mezze spread.
INGREDIENTS
For the Grilled Mushrooms:
5 oz (140g) brown button mushrooms, quartered
4¼ oz (120g) shiitake mushrooms, roughly torn in half
1 garlic clove, crushed with the side of a knife
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 lemon: finely shave the peel to get 3 strips, then juice to get 2 tbsp
¼ oz (5g) thyme sprigs
1½ tsp maple syrup
1½ tsp flaked sea salt and black pepper
1 dried cascabel Chile
For the Garlic Confit Hummus:
2 heads of garlic, top fifth cut off to expose the cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
flaked sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp ice-cold water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
scant 2 cups (300g) cooked or canned (and drained) chickpeas
1 tbsp dill, roughly chopped (not pictured because I did not have any)
1½ tsp parsley, finely chopped
METHOD
1. For the mushrooms: Heat a large grill pan on high heat and add all the mushrooms, spread out (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan). Grill for about 8 minutes, turning throughout, until all sides have dark char marks. Add the mushrooms to a medium bowl with the crushed garlic, olive oil, lemon strips, lemon juice, thyme, maple syrup, salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
2. Add the dried chile to the grill pan and cook for 4 minutes, until fragrant. Roughly chop the chile and add it, along with its seeds, to the bowl with the mushrooms and set aside to marinate for 1–2 hours.
3. For the hummus: Preheat the oven to 425°F/200°C fan.
4. Drizzle the heads of garlic with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 40 minutes, until the cloves have softened and are golden brown. Remove the foil and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the cloves, discarding the papery skins.
5. In a food processor, combine the cooked garlic, water, lemon juice, tahini, chickpeas, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and ¾ tsp salt. Blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go, if necessary.
6. Spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, creating a large well in the center with the back of a spoon. Stir the dill and parsley into the mushrooms, then spoon into the well, along with the oil and aromatics. Serve at once.
Eat well and be well X
If you like this recipe, pin it to Pinterest! You can also leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of this post. I would love that!