Wild Garlic & Spring Pea Hummus with Sumac Oil Flatbread

Ingredients

• ▸300g fresh or frozen spring peas, thawed if frozen
• ▸1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ▸40g wild garlic leaves (ramsons), roughly torn
• ▸3 tablespoons tahini, well-stirred
• ▸2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▸1 small clove regular garlic, peeled
• ▸3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ▸1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ▸1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▸2 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
• ▸1.5 tablespoons sumac
• ▸1 teaspoon dried rose petals, lightly crushed
• ▸1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
• ▸4 large rice paper wrappers (22cm), for the flatbread
• ▸2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for serving
• ▸handful fresh mint leaves, for serving
• ▸handful fresh pea shoots, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Make the sumac oil first so it has time to bloom: in a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the sumac, rose petals, and Aleppo pepper. Set aside at room temperature — the sumac will hydrate and turn the oil a gorgeous rust-red within 10 minutes.

2. 2

   2. Blanch the peas (optional but recommended for vivid colour): if using fresh peas, submerge them in a bowl of boiling water for 60 seconds, then immediately drain and plunge into ice water. Skip this step if you're truly going raw — the flavour is more raw-green but still works.

3. 3

   3. Add the peas, chickpeas, wild garlic leaves, tahini, lemon juice, regular garlic clove, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and cumin to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blitz on high for 30 seconds.

4. 4

   4. With the motor running, add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the hummus is silky-smooth and bright green — it should ribbon off a spoon. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. The wild garlic will smell alarmingly pungent at this stage; that's correct and good.

5. 5

   5. Make the rice paper flatbreads: fill a wide, shallow dish with cold water. Submerge one rice paper wrapper for exactly 8 seconds — it should still feel slightly stiff. Lay it flat on a clean damp tea towel. Within 30 seconds it will become pliable and slightly tacky. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Stack them separated by damp paper towels.

6. 6

   6. To serve, spoon a generous mound of the green hummus onto a wide plate or board, using the back of the spoon to create a dramatic swirl crater in the centre. Pour the sumac oil into the crater and let it pool.

7. 7

   7. Scatter toasted sesame seeds, fresh mint leaves, and pea shoots over the hummus. Arrange the rice paper flatbreads alongside — fold or tear them for scooping. Eat immediately while the flatbreads are still supple.

Variations

• ◆Frozen edamame swap: replace half the spring peas with frozen edamame for a nuttier, higher-protein hummus with a slightly more complex green flavour — pairs especially well with the wild garlic.
• ◆Smoked sumac oil: add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to the sumac oil and a few drops of liquid smoke for a campfire-meets-Levant dimension that makes the whole dish taste like it was somehow grilled despite being entirely raw.
• ◆Black garlic twist: swap the regular garlic clove for one clove of black garlic for a molasses-dark, balsamic-sweet underpinning that fights beautifully with the bright pea and wild garlic — weirdness rating jumps to 4.