When I was in Israel, I had the most amazing hummus, which is made from Bulgarian chickpeas, which don't have the tough skins that other varieties do. I wanted to replicate the incredibly smooth hummus I had in Israel and when I plucked off the chickpea skins, my hummus was identical to what I had in Israel. The process takes a few extra minutes, but it's worth it. Believe me.
1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas (rinsed and sorted)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons tahini
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chickpea cooking liquid
Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan and cover them with water, about four times their volume, and add the baking soda.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer, and cook for 1 to 2 hours with a lid ajar, until the chickpeas are very, very tender. Remove from heat and pour them into a colander set over a bowl, to reserve the cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove the loose skins from the chickpeas.
In a food processor, grind together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until completely smooth. (You can use a blender, and if so, add the 1/3 cup chickpea cooking liquid along with the tahini.) Set a handful of chickpeas aside, then add the rest of the peeled chickpeas and grind for at least a minute, until completely smooth.
Taste, and add additional lemon juice or salt, if necessary. If it's too thick, add a bit more of the cooking liquid until it's at the desired consistency.
To serve, spread in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the reserved cooked chickpeas and perhaps some toasted nuts. Serves 6 to 8 people.