Katrina says: “There is nothing better than a meal you can swipe through with soft bread. This is a condiment-salad-dressing-sauce situation; organised mayhem held together by chermoula-addled hummus and Big Dip Energy. Fire-licked in all the right places; it’s an absolute winner. You can prepare the hummus ahead of time and store in the fridge; just try not to eat it all before you make this.”

Serves 4 as part of a spread

Ingredients

120ml (4 fl oz) olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
3 leeks, white part only, washed and sliced into thin rings
½ white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
400g (14 oz) tinned diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons Chermoula (see below), plus extra to serve
400g (14 oz) tinned chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons each mint and coriander
thinly sliced flatbreads, to serve
coriander sprigs, to serve

For the chermoula hummus:

2 tablespoons chermoula
400g (14 oz) tinned chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
juice and zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
2 tablespoons iced water (you may need more depending on thickness of hummus)

Method

Make the hummus by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and blitzing until smooth and creamy. If your hummus seems too thick and grainy, add more iced water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to a frying pan over low heat. Add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the leeks are soft and caramelised with a few lovely bits of fired char here and there, up to 25 minutes.

While the leeks are cooking, place another frying pan over medium–low heat. Once hot, add the remaining olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring regularly, for 5–8 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and coriander seeds and cook for another minute. Add the diced tomatoes, chermoula and chickpeas and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the leeks, stir gently to incorporate and cook until warmed through.

Add the hummus to a serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpea chermoula mixture to the centre, scatter with a few coriander sprigs. Serve with additional chermoula and flatbreads for swiping.

Time-saving hacks

Use store-bought hummus.
Tinned chickpeas are always fine. Honestly, if you have the forethought to soak, I commend you. For the rest of us – grab thy tin with pride.

Chermoula

Makes 250 g

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
1 preserved lemon, or to taste
1 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
1 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
375 ml (12½ fl oz/1½ cups) extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp sumac
4 tsp aleppo pepper
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric

Method

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander and cumin. (See above regarding non‑negotiables.) Rinse the preserved lemon, then scrape off and discard the pulp.

Transfer the peel to a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until combined but still a little chunky.

Store in a jar in the fridge for a few weeks. You could stretch it further; I often have and everyone has lived to see another day.

From From Salt to Jam by Katrina Meynink (£22, Hardie Grant), out now

4 irresistible (and easy) dip recipes to upgrade your chip and dip game this summer