Smoky Eggplant Hummus with Roasted Cauliflower Tapenade

By Colby Newman, Executive Chef, Amarillo (Texas) Country Club

For Hummus

Ingredents:
1.25 cups Chickpeas, dried
1 tsp. baking soda
6.5 cups water
1 cups tahini paste
4 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 EA garlic, cloves
6.5 Tbsp. water, ice-cold
TT salt

Procedure:

• The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook between 20 and 40 minute, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.
• Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3 2/3 cups now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and 1.5 t salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mix for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.
• Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

 

For Smoky Eggplant Puree

Ingredients
1 EA Eggplant, Medium (about a pound)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
1 EA Garlic, clove, minced
TT            Salt

Procedure:

• Peirce eggplant all over with a fork. Using a gas stove, turn the burner to medium heat and place the eggplant directly over the flame. Roast, turning the eggplant occasionally so that it blackens all around, until it is very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel away the charred skin and lightly chop the eggplant flesh. Place it in a food processor and add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and kosher salt to taste. Puree until smooth.

For Cauliflower Tapenade

Ingredients:
1 # Cauliflower, crumbled
1 cups Artichoke hearts, chopped (from can)
4 EA garlic, clove, minced
2 EA preserved lemons, peel only, minced
3 Tbps. Olive Oil
1 cup Parsley, minced

Procedure:

• Set your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with salt and pepper and olive oil. Roast in oven until lightly brown but still has a slight crunch. Pull from oven and let cool. In a large mixing bowl add the cauliflower, artichoke hearts, garlic, preserved lemons, olive oil, and parsley. Mix well adjusting the seasoning if needed.

 

To Plate:

1 EA Hummus
1 EA Smoky eggplant puree, recipe above
1 EA Cauliflower tapenade, recipe above
1 EA Pomegranate, seeds only
.5 cup Basil, chiffonade
1 EA Lemon, zest only
.75 Cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Procedure

• In a large bowl mix the cold hummus with the smoky eggplant puree adjusting seasoning as needed.
• In a serving platter, place the hummus/eggplant mixture topping with the cauliflower tapenade, spreading the tapenade evenly. Garnish with the fresh basil, lemon zest, feta cheese, and pomegranate seeds. If desired drizzle additional olive oil over the top. Enjoy!!