Poichichade - Provençal Garlic Chickpea Hummus

Provençal aperitif recipe for Poichichade, or garlic chickpea hummus, served with a good baguette, raw vegetables and chilled rosé wine.

We’re going savoury for a change and thinking of the French’s favourite time before dinner: the apéritif. As we’re heading to Provence this weekend to see good friends, I’m “spreading” the holiday mood and opening the rosé wine with the Provençal equivalent of hummus, Poichichade – with plenty of garlic!

This view is from my parents-in-law’s house in the Luberon, the heart of Provence. It has always been special, whatever time of year. As in this picture, even if the pretty lavender from the fields has been harvested in August, watching the smoke rise from the distillery’s chimney down below conjures up all sorts of ideas as to what uses we have with lavender oil.

This winding road takes us from Saignon to Apt, a popular Provençal market town. On summer Saturdays it transforms from sleepy town into a giant beehive of swarming tourists amongst the locals in every street and hidden nook and cranny, as we dodge past the buskers and look for the best olives, tapenade, honey, vegetables, cheeses and garlic, to name a few.

When we shop at the market, my Corsican mother-in-law and I have very different items in our shopping baskets. One of them is she doesn’t use much garlic and heaven forbid if I add any raw garlic if she is to join us. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles at her place.

French Garlic: Ail, Ail, Ail

Buying French Olive Oil at the Market

I also love stocking up on good olive oil. Here is one of the popular olive market stalls.  Just be aware of scams. There are stands that exist that don’t sell the genuine article so ensure that you look for the quality label, AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) on decanted 3-5 litre plastic containers.

On the other hand, our good friends adore garlic and the local specialities. So when they invited us for lunch “up the road” from my parents-in-law in Saignon, we knew it would be a Provençal treat.

Valérie is the most wonderful cook. Her recipes are not only eleven out of ten on the tasty scale but they are above all simple, using the freshest of good quality local ingredients. This means there’s just enough time to have a dip in the pool.

As the chilled rosé is opened before the meal, Valérie produces something different each time. Last time she brought out Poichichade (pron: pwah-sheesh-ad).  It’s rather like Lebanese-style Hummus.  In Provence it’s served as an apéritif accompanied by fresh toasted thin slices of baguette and fresh crudités (a mixture of raw vegetables). Not only was it rather addictive, but it also contained a good punch of garlic, using both cooked garlic and just one fresh clove at the end to give it that touch of Provence!

Hummus – Don’t Use Tinned Chickpeas if Possible

Julie and Lucie were itching to make it so much as soon as our return last time, I didn’t even have time to run out and get dried chick peas!  We used handy tinned/canned chick peas (pois chiches).  Although it was good (and yellower), it wasn’t a patch on Valérie’s fresh one, which took longer to make.  I added some parsley to make up for the different texture, even if the garlic packed a punch.  What was wrong?  We should have taken the time to soak dried chick peas.  It’s far creamier and smoother.

Don’t Throw Out Tinned Chickpea Brine

However, if you do use tinned chickpeas, don’t throw out the brine, known as Aquafaba. Use it to make these Vegan Raspberry Macarons.

La Poichichade – Provençal Chickpea Spread

Thanks to my friend, Valérie Cortade, for the recipe. Please do use dried chickpeas and not the ones in tins: believe me, the taste is completely different.  The longest part is just soaking them in advance!