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White Bean Hummus with Oil-Cured Olives & Pita Crisps
Serves 8
For a snack or predinner nibble, Govind likes to serve this easy-to-make trio of
"doctored" olives, homemade pita crisps, and his signature white bean hummus. "It's lighter
and more delicate than the traditional chickpea kind," he says, "and the garlic-infused oil
and toasted garlic give it a subtle caramelized flavor that really enhances the beans." The
same oil gets brushed on the pita wedges before toasting, making a nice flavor tie-in with the
hummus.
Ingredients
Olives 2 cups oil-cured black olives 2 thyme sprigs Grated zest of 1/2 lemon 1 clove garlic, minced Small pinch of red pepper flakes 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil White Bean Hummus 6 cloves garlic, sliced uniformly with a mandoline or paring knife1 1/2 cups olive oil 3 cups drained, cooked white beans or 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pita Crisps 8 pita bread roundsSalt and freshly ground black pepper |
 Photos by Maren Caruso
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To make the olives, place them in a bowl. Holding the thyme sprigs over the olives, strip off the leaves, allowing them to drop onto the olives. Add the lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and stir gently to mix. Allow the flavors to marry for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To make the white bean hummus, in a small saucepan, combine the garlic and 1/2 cup of the oil, place over medium-low heat, and cook gently for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden. Remove from the heat, strain through a sieve, and reserve the garlic and oil separately.
In a food processor, combine the beans, the remaining 1 cup olive oil, the toasted garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and process until a smooth puree forms. Add the vinegar and process to mix. Taste and add up to 2 more tablespoons of the garlic oil. Reserve the remaining garlic oil for preparing the pita. Season the hummus with salt and pepper. The hummus can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
To make the pita crisps, preheat the oven to 350°F. On a work surface, using a serrated knife, carefully split 1 pita into 2 disks. Stack the 2 disks and cut the stack into 8 wedges, to yield 16 pieces total. Repeat with the remaining 7 pita rounds. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets, and brush with the remaining 1/4 cup (or more) garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
