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A fragrant ras el hanout spice blend is toasted and ground together to deepen the flavor of this North African take on an appetizer favorite.
This month's Supper Club theme was Gordon Ramsay. That's right, all 6 of us each cooked one of Chef Ramsay's recipes.
And let me tell you... it was one of the best meals we've ever made!
Dino chose to make this hummus appetizer recipe. It was silky smooth and delicious, and the fragrance of the spices as they were toasting was just incredible!
He has a few notes after making this recipe. First of all, it took about 10 minutes for the spices to start popping over medium heat for him, as opposed to 1 minute as the recipe instructed. Maybe it's because we have an electric range, or maybe the ranges are super-powered over in the UK. Ha!
Secondly, he peeled the garlic before smashing it and roasting it. He didn't want to bother with picking through molten hot squash to fish out the garlic skins.
Lastly, this dip is incredibly sweet because of the butternut squash. It's great, but it needed a significant amount of additional lemon juice and salt to balance it out. He added the juice of 2 small lemons, and it could have used even more.
This dip was still fantastic, and it was most definitely a great starter to a delicious evening!
I cut up a mix of whole wheat and regular pita bread to serve alongside. The wheat didn't go as well with this one since it was sweet, so I'd recommend regular. And I think some char marks from a grill would be extra tasty with this goodness.
Print📖 Recipe
Gordon Ramsay’s Roasted Squash Houmous
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: North African
Description
A fragrant ras el hanout spice blend is toasted and ground together to deepen the flavor of this North African take on an appetizer favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, about 850g, peeled, deseeded and cubed
- 2 garlic cloves, bashed
- 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- Olive oil
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Warmed or griddled pitta bread or flatbread, to serve
For the ras el hanout spice blend:
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- ½ tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- First make the spice blend. Break the cinnamon stick into pieces. Place in a dry pan with the cloves and seeds, and toast over a medium heat for about 1 minute until aromatic and the seeds are popping(shake the spices in the pan as you heat them to prevent them from burning).
- Once toasted, remove from the heat, and add the paprika. Place in a spice grinder, blender or mortar and grind until the mixture is a powder – sift it if necessary. This spice blend will keep for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
- Make the houmous. In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.
- Once the squash is soft, add the contents of the tray to a blender, discarding the garlic skins. Add the tahini, chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon juice along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary – you might need some extra lemon juice.
- Transfer the houmous to a bowl and sprinkle with a little of the spice mix. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with warmed or griddled pitta bread on the side.
Notes
Recipe by Gordon Ramsay
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8-10
- Calories: 134
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 147 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.3 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
- Protein: 4.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Lori H
Maybe it wasn't really a minute. Is there a metric conversion for time? LOL