- 2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 stick butter, cut into small pieces, plus 1½ tablespoons
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ pound or 16 thin slices basturma
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or melted butter for garnish
- 2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 8 pitted, dry-cured black olives
- 1 scallion, 1 inch green trimmed from the top, washed, and finely chopped
- Torn pieces of crusty french bread or pita bread (cut into wedges, torn, or left whole for guests to tear)
- In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas in about 8 cups of fresh water. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the chickpeas for at least 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain the chickpeas and reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid.
- Before the chickpeas cool down, puree them in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, with the 1 stick of the butter. ½ cup olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, reserved cooking liquid, cumin, and salt and pepper, until very smooth and creamy. It may take 3 to 4 minutes, depending on how sharp your blade is.
- Let the hummus sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes and then cool it in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. This makes it easier to shape and stuff with butter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the 1½ tablespoons of butter into 8 equal, small cubes or rectangles.
- Scoop the hummus into 16 balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Roll the hummus into nice rounds and put your finger in the bottom of each ball to make a pocket for the butter bit.
- Stuff a butter bit into the bottom of each hummus ball and seal it by pushing the hummus around it. You may need to roll it between your hands again to reshape the ball. Press each ball a little so it flattens slightly.
- Wrap a piece of basturma around each hummus ball and place them, with the seam side of the basturma down, onto a heavy baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until warm.
- . Drizzle a little of the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over each and then top each with tomatoes and an olive.
- . Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately with the bread.
- Dip Variation:
- After you’ve pureéed the hummus, place it in a small round casserole or baking dish, but don’t chill it. Using a rubber spatula, spread it in a smooth, even layer. Top the casserole with the chopped bits of butter and lay the slices of basturma in a round pinwheel pattern, laying each slice from the center to the edge. Each center slice may overlap a bit.
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until warm, and then sprinkle the top with chopped tomatoes, scallions, and olive. Serve as a dip with crusty french bread or pita bread.