CANDIED JALAPENO HUMMUS

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Deftones, and somehow my mate managed to smuggle in a full bag of chips and dips from Tesco. Tragically, a civilian stood  on the bag, and most of it got completely mushed. All that survived was a tub of jalapeno hummus and a bag of crinkled crisps.

After the gig, while waiting approximately a zillion hours for a train at Crystal Palace station, we sat on the platform and ate the salvaged snacks straight off the floor. Sometimes, in desperate moments, you do rogue things and honestly, jalapeno hummus and crisps on a boiling hot platform floor just became part of the journey.

This recipe is a little homage to that ridiculous moment on such a wonderful night... coz Deftones were bloody amazing.

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CANDIED JALAPENO HUMMUS

SERVES 4-6 // MADE IN 30-40 MINS /EASY// VEGAN

Ingredients:

• 6 jalapeños, sliced

• 150g caster sugar

• 60ml white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp ras el hanout

• 400g tin chickpeas, drained

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp cumin

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 100ml olive oil

• Salt, to taste

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the caster sugar, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, turmeric, and ras el hanout. Stir over low-medium heat for about 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

2. Bring the syrup to a gentle boil, then add the sliced jalapeños. Stir frequently until they look shiny and slightly shriveled, about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Turn off the heat and let the jalapeños sit in the syrup. As it cools, the syrup will thicken and coat the jalapeños.

4. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the drained chickpeas and baking powder, cooking for 10–15 minutes until the skins start to come off.

5. Drain the chickpeas and remove as many skins as possible (this helps make the hummus silky).

6. Add the skinless chickpeas to a high-powered blender along with the tahini, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy.

7. If the hummus is too thick or grainy, add an ice cube or two and a splash of water to loosen the texture.

8. Season with salt to taste.

9. To serve, spread the hummus on a plate and top with the candied jalapeños. Serve with flatbreads and enjoy!