This is a good eggplant recipe, even for those who don’t like eggplant. It’s a great dip for crackers or vegetables, spread on toast, or alongside a salad. This recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, which is one of our favorite cookbooks.
1 eggplant (about 1 lb)
1 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
¼ cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley
Roast the eggplant in a 425° oven for 30-40 minutes, until it’s collapsingly soft. If you aren't sure, cook it some more. (An earlier version of this recipe recommended slashing the skin, but it turns out that the eggplant cooks faster and peels more easily if you don't. At some point in the cooking, the pressure of steam inside the eggplant will cause the skin to burst -- don't be alarmed!) You can also roast the garlic if you don't enjoy raw garlic flavor.
Let cool enough to handle and discard any juices (you can give it a spin in a salad spinner if you have one to speed the process). Peel off the skin and chop or puree the flesh, mixing in the lemon juice and garlic to taste. Then mix in the tahini, either with a food processor for a very smooth texture, or whisking briskly with a fork. Salt to taste. The traditional way to serve baba ghanoush is to mound it in a bowl, make a little depression in the top and fill that with olive oil and parsley. You can also add olive oil the same way as the tahini, whisking or processing until emulsified. Yum!
1 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
¼ cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley
Roast the eggplant in a 425° oven for 30-40 minutes, until it’s collapsingly soft. If you aren't sure, cook it some more. (An earlier version of this recipe recommended slashing the skin, but it turns out that the eggplant cooks faster and peels more easily if you don't. At some point in the cooking, the pressure of steam inside the eggplant will cause the skin to burst -- don't be alarmed!) You can also roast the garlic if you don't enjoy raw garlic flavor.
Let cool enough to handle and discard any juices (you can give it a spin in a salad spinner if you have one to speed the process). Peel off the skin and chop or puree the flesh, mixing in the lemon juice and garlic to taste. Then mix in the tahini, either with a food processor for a very smooth texture, or whisking briskly with a fork. Salt to taste. The traditional way to serve baba ghanoush is to mound it in a bowl, make a little depression in the top and fill that with olive oil and parsley. You can also add olive oil the same way as the tahini, whisking or processing until emulsified. Yum!