Cookies Preferences
Nicholas is the very colorful proprietor of Samkit el Sultan fish restaurant in Achrafieh. He was an excellent host and offered lots of opinions on what should be eaten that day from his fish displayed on a crushed ice and grape leaf decorated counter at the front of his space. Just around the corner from our apartment we'd often stop just for a quick bite of his very fresh offerings but also always to get his hummus topped with sumac shrimp. Now I'm not certain this is the recipe he uses, but it's as close as I can get and it's absolutely delicious and decadent with the sumac-laced butter pooling on top of the hummus. Serve with lots of Arabic bread for dipping and this is a winning and I think unusual addition to your mezze table.
for the hummus
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
for the shrimp
½ pound medium shrimp, deveined, peeled, tails removed
1 tablespoon sumac
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
First make the hummus by combining the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until it's a chunky mess. Now through the feed tube add the olive oil and blend for several minutes until it's smooth. Adding an ice cube to the mix is a great secret hack to perfectly smooth hummus, but you can also add icecold water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Toss the shrimp with the sumac, salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shrimp when it’s just starting to bubble. Cook the shrimp until they are pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
Spread the hummus on a platter creating a well in the center and spoon the sumac shrimp into the middle. Serve with lots of Arabic bread.
