Dinner Tonight: Hummus with Ground Lamb and Almonds Recipe

Dinner Tonight

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Nick Kindelsperger
Dinner Tonight: Hummus with Ground Lamb and Almonds Recipe

[Photographs: Nick Kindelsperger]

I always knew that homemade hummus was a relatively painless dish to whip up, but I never actually took the time to make it until I found this recipe from Samuel Clark's Moro. It really couldn't be easier. Compared to store-bought, the flavor is cleaner and more vibrant, less dull and chalky. It's a perfect match for lamb, which in this recipe is mixed with cinnamon, almonds, and a final sprinkling of smoked paprika. Each bite is tangy, rich, and gorgeously perfumed thanks to the spices. I devoured my whole plate in minutes.

And about those almonds: Either the employee at my local grocery store is a total liar or there's a pine nut shortage going on this summer. I've avoided making pesto this season for some reason, so the lack of pine nuts only bothered me when I set out to make this recipe. If you have a secret pine nut stash in your kitchen feel free to re-institute them for the almonds that I substituted here. But if not, the almonds also work beautifully.

  • Yield:2 to 3
  • Rated: 5

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) can chickpeas
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 large Spanish onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1-2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons tahini paste
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounces ground lamb
  • 2 tablespoons almonds, lightly toasted, slivered, or roughly chopped
  • Pinch paprika or smoked paprika
  • Pita bread for serving

Directions

  1. 1.

    Drain the chickpeas, reserving a tablespoon of the liquid. Add the chickpeas and liquid to a food processor. Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides as necessary. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, 3 tablespoons tahini, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Blend until smooth, 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper, adding additional lemon juice and tahini paste as desired. Transfer to serving plate.

  2. 2.

    Heat remaining olive oil into 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lamb and break up using wooden spoon. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until lamb begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in almonds and spoon mixture over hummus. Sprinkle with paprika and serve immediately with pita. Season with salt and pepper.

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