The tahini I made is fairly thin, but you can make it thicker simply by using a greater quantity of sesame seeds. The proportions are not fixed: it will be as thick, or as thin, as you choose to make it. I made a small quantity as I was only making it for use in hummus. Double, triple or quadruple the quantities to your whim.

Tahini

Ingredients

White sesame seeds (I used 100 g but use much more if you like)

Olive oil (only a Tbsp at the time to each the required consistency)

Sesame oil (optional, start with 1 tsp, only use a small quantity)

Method

Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan over a low heat. Shake the pan often, and give it an occasional toss to turn the seeds over. Allow them to attain a pale golden hue, and turn off the heat immediately if the pan starts smoking.

Pour the seeds into the grinder bowl of a blender, or grind with a hand-held stick blender in a deep bowl, until the seeds are broken up coarsely. Add a Tbsp of a mild olive oil at a time (and/or sesame oil if you have some to hand), blending until the tahini is smooth and creamy and of a consistency that you like. It can be thick or thin, as you prefer. You can salt it lightly if you like.

Hummus

Ingredients

1 x 400 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 large garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 scant tsp ground cumin (optional)

60 ml olive oil

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp tahini

1 or 2 additional Tbsp olive oil for dressing

Parsley, or ground cumin, or paprika, for dressing

Water as required

Method

Note that canned chickpeas are already cooked so you do not need to boil them first. Blitz the chickpeas with 60 ml olive oil until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp water, the lemon juice, the garlic and tahini (and cumin if using) and continue to blend until completely smooth. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a little more water and blend some more.

Spoon the hummus onto a presentation plate and draw the round side of a dessert spoon around it three or four times to create a classic swirl as in the photograph. Drizzle a little more olive oil over it so that it collects in the troughs created by your swirling expertise.

Garnish it with chopped parsley or a few shakes of paprika or ground cumin. DM/TGIFood

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