As a long-term hummus decorator, I love to add extra bits of spice, crunch and flavour to my chickpeas. This is perhaps taking it a bit too far, but the result is a wonderfully versatile dinner dish. If you are looking for a silky and velvety-textured hummus, you can go one step further and remove the skins from the chickpeas. The best way to do this is to drain the chickpeas, wash them in warm water and rub them together between your hands. Continue to do this until the papery skins come loose. They should float to the top of the water, so you can scoop them out. Drain and repeat until all the skins have been removed. This isn’t essential and really does take a fair amount of patience and time, but it does result in an amazing hummus if you can be bothered!
Feeds 2 as a main or 4 as a side/starter
Photography: Laura Edwards
Styling: Rosie Ramsden & El Kemp
Season: Autumn/Winter
Ingredients
For the marinated lamb
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tbsps olive oil
zest of 1/2 lemon
500g good-quality lamb neck, ideally in 2 or 3 fillets, sinew removed
For the hummus
1 × 400g tin chickpeas, drained
50g tahini
25g lemon juice
1 garlic clove
25g extra virgin olive oil
25g ice
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
For the herb oil
10g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10g dill, chopped
10g mint, chopped
zest of 1/2 lemon
25g lemon juice
25g extra virgin olive oil
10g sesame seeds
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Subs
chickpeas – butter beans
dried oregano – dried thyme; dried marjoram
parsley – chervil
dill – fennel fronds
sesame – flaked almonds; poppy seeds
Method
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Begin by marinating the lamb. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and massage into the lamb. Cover with clingfilm and marinate for 30 minutes–1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove 10–20 minutes before cooking to come up to room temperature.
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For the hummus, place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor and blitz on a high speed until smooth and well combined. Mix the oil and ice together and gently pour into the hummus with the motor still running. Add the seasoning, blitz and taste, adjusting if necessary. Continue to blitz for another 2 minutes until smooth.
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To prepare the herb oil, mix together the parsley, dill, mint and lemon zest. I like to rub the zest in with the herbs to release the oils. Add the lemon juice and the oil and mix
together, seasoning a little. In a dry frying pan (skillet), toast the sesame seeds until fragrant and just beginning to colour. Add to the oil and set aside. -
When ready to cook the lamb, preheat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan. Place the lamb neck into the hot pan and sear on all sides until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the lamb, turning it regularly until the central temperature is 65–70°C for medium rare, or to your taste. Once the lamb is seared, you can place it in the oven for another 5–10 minutes, but I prefer the char you get from pan-frying. When cooked to your liking, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with foil or another plate, then place a dish towel on top. Rest for 5–10 minutes – the longer the better.
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When ready to serve, spoon the hummus onto your serving platter. I like to use the back of the spoon to create lots of swirls. Slice your lamb into rounds and arrange over the top of the hummus. Spoon over any resting juices. Finish with the herb oil and any extra herb leaves you fancy.
Read more: Supper
Throughout the various lockdowns over the pandemic, Flora began cooking up what she called #FridayFeasts using recipes from cookbooks, friends and her own, all to keep her going at a difficult time. The result was her third cookbook, Supper. Filled with beautiful photography and creative, delicious recipes for dinners, whether for two or for a crowd, it’s the perfect companion for slow, evening cooking. Supper by Flora Shedden (Hardie Grant, £22) Photography by Laura Edwards.
— about the author
