Pea "Hummus" with Focaccia Crostini
6 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 nice pieces of focaccia from your best Italian bakery
1 tablespoon pimenton (sweet smoked Spanish paprika)
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Set up an ice bath nearby.
When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt. Drop the peas into the water, bring back to a boil and cook until tender and still vivid green, about 3 minutes. Using a spider or a strainer, transfer the peas to the ice bath.
When they have cooled, drain the peas and place them in a food processor. Add the lemon zest and juice, tahini, garlic and 6 tablespoons of the olive oil. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the focaccia into narrow slices, and toast them in a toaster oven or under the broiler.
Place the hummus in a serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the well, and sprinkle the pimenton around the walls of the well. Serve at room temperature or cool, with the focaccia crostini alongside.
(Mario Batali is the award-winning chef behind twenty-five restaurants including Eataly, Del Posto, and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo.)
