Hummus with Spiced Lamb and Crispy Chickpeas

If someone were to ask me what my number one crowd pleaser is, I'd send them away with this recipe, knowing they'd return with gratitude. 

I may be bias, having hummus in my blood and all, but in my experience, anyone enjoys a good hummus, whether you grew up eating it or not. 

If you've made the bold decision to invite people over and you're supposed to be feeding them, feed them this. Amongst other things, of course but this alone will have them stroking your inner hostess's ego and raving about you all over town. 

Crowd Pleasing Hummus

YOU WILL NEED:

FOR THE HUMMUS:

2 500G CANS CHICKPEAS WITH WATER 

1/2 CUP TAHINI PASTE

2 TSP GROUND CUMIN

1/4 TSP ALL SPICE

2 CLOVES GARLIC, SKIN ON

1 CM OF LEMON SKIN

1 TSP HONEY

2 TBSP OLIVE OIL

JUICE OF 2 LEMONS

SALT AND PEPPER

FOR THE LAMB:

1LB MINCED LAMB

1 TSP PAPRIKA

1 TSP CINNAMON

1/4 TSP CUMIN

1/4 TSP NUTMEG

1/2 TSP ALL SPICE

1/4 TSP TURMERIC

1/4 TSP CHILLI POWDER

GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED

1 WHITE ONION, FINELY CHOPPED

OLIVE OIL

1/2 CUP PINE NUTS 

FOR THE CHICKPEAS:

1 CAN CHICKPEAS, DRAINED

JUICE OF 1 LEMON 

1/2 TSP CHILLI POWDER

OLIVE OIL

FOR SERVING:

OLIVE OIL

ZAATAR

PAPRIKA

FRESH CHOPPED PARSLEY

TAHINA:

2 TBSP TAHINI PASTE

1 TBSP LEMON JUICE

3 TBSP WATER 

Pre-heat oven to 200 C or 390F. When hot, place the whole garlic cloves on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes or until soft.

Start by sautéing the garlic and onions for the lamb. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil and cook until softened, being careful not to let them burn. When they're cooked, add all the spices and a pinch of black pepper, mix thoroughly and then add the minced lamb. Break the meat into small pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix often so it doesn't burn. The lamb is ready when all the liquid has evaporated and it's browned and slightly crispy. When the meat is just about ready add the pine nuts and cook until slightly golden (about 3 minutes).

Pour the 2 cans of chickpeas with the liquid into a saucepan along with an extra cup of water and bring to a boil. 

When the chickpea water is boiling, drain them, reserving the liquid. Pour the chickpeas into a food processor with about a cup of the water. Add less than a cup of water at first, blend and then add more if needed. The chickpeas should be a very smooth consistency. Add the tahini and blend again. This may thicken the consistency a little, so add a little more water if you feel you need to. Add the roasted garlic (removing the skins) and the rest of the ingredients (lemon juice, cumin, all spice, lemon skin, honey, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper). Blend until smooth. 

To make the chickpeas, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan, pour in the drained chickpeas, add the lemon juice and the chilli powder. Shake the pan so the chickpeas are evenly flavoured until the lemon juice has evaporated. Stir occasionally until the chickpeas start to pop and are golden on the outside. 

Lastly prepare the tahina. In a bowl, combine the tahini paste, lemon juice and water and vigorously mix with a fork until smooth. 

To serve, spread the hummus on a serving plate. Make a small well in the centre. Drizzle the centre with the tahina, followed by the crispy meat and then the chickpeas. Top with a little more tahina, some freshly chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of either zaatar or paprika. 

Enjoy warm immediately with a good piece of pita bread or refrigerate hummus and meat separately and enjoy for up to 4 days, reheating when you want it.