Hummus

Hummus, like its relative taramasalata, is one of the world’s most abused dishes. Quite what supermarkets do to convert this simple and pure dish of chickpeas, garlic, sesame and olive oil into an offensive chemical glop is difficult to fathom. Hummus is so easy to make that a perverse and malign force must be at work, interceding to turn something innately good into something thoroughly bad.

The secret of success, as in all absolutely simple dishes, is in the ability of the cook to