I’m dedicating this blog post to Alice’s Bakery’s most committed employee. Well, perhaps volunteer is more apt, given the solely calorie based wages I pay. My chief taster, tea maker and tireless caddie, who also doubles up as a pretty awesome boyfriend (most of the time). A boyfriend, I might add, with quite impeccable humous making skills.
Being Mediterranean(ish), he’s kind of into olive oil and tahini…. Eating, drinking, breathing, sleeping, smoking and occasionally even bathing in the stuff. So, humous in our house is a pretty serious business. Fortunately there is nothing I enjoy more than scoffing it with freshly baked pitta bread. And what better reason to share the recipe than in honour of my employee of the month, not meeting the NMW and definitely breaching the working time directive.
This week, other than feasting on humous and exploiting my staff, I’ve been cheering up the dark evenings with halloweeny toffee apple flavour macarons..nom nom nom..and spending my days at the East London Small Business Centre, the country’s oldest enterprise organisation, which shares its time and extensive knowledge of business and the local area with start-ups. FOR FREE. I’m learning enormous amounts and meeting some brilliant business brains. Perhaps Alice’s Bakery is ready to write a business proposal! Speaking of which, expansion plans are already taking shape – I’ve been speaking with the Maltby street peeps about their new Sunday market, so watch this space..
Humous
Ingredients – makes two generous bowls
250g dried chick peas
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp baking powder
70g tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Place the chick peas in a large bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda. Cover with cold water, ensuring that there’s approximately 4cm of water above the level of the chick peas and leave to soak overnight.
Drain the chickpeas and bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil. Boil the chickpeas for 30 minutes and then add the baking powder (this should cause quite a froth). Continue boiling for a further 30 minutes, skimming off any chick pea skins or general foamy stuff as you go (this bit is quite therapeutic).
Drain the chickpeas and leave to cool. Whizz in a food processor with the garlic, lemon juice, tahini and a few tablespoons of water, adjusting the quantities to your taste and desired consistency (adding a little more tahini/water will give you a smoother kinda humous). The balance of lemon juice to garlic to tahini is all a matter of preference – plus, your garlic cloves and lemons will vary in size each time, so be sure to taste as you go.
Serve topped with olive oil and paprika.
Alice's Bakery 