Baba Ghanoush
Aubergine or Eggplant dip
Serve with warm Pita or Lebanese bread 32
Ingredients
| 2 | large |
black eggplants
|
* |
| ½ | cup |
tahini (sesame paste)
Tahini |
* |
| 2 | x |
garlic cloves
finely crushed |
* |
| 1 | medium |
lemon
juice of |
* |
| 100 | millilitres |
olive oil, extra-virgin
|
* |
| 1 | x |
sea salt
to taste |
* |
Directions
Preheat oven to 180º cup (360 F)
Using tongs to turn, grill the eggplants whole on a BBQ or under a grill until they are black and the skin is blistered all over.
Continue to bake in the oven until the eggplants are completely cooked; around 45 minutes. (a wooden skewer will easily penetrate the flesh)
If you can't blacken over a flame then turn the oven up to flat out and bake eggplants for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 180 cup (360 F) and cook for further 45 minutes.
Place eggplants in a bowl to cool then peel. Make sure you scrape the inside of the skins with a spoon to get the smoky flavoured flesh – this is what makes it so yummy.
Do not rinse the pulpy flesh in water. Place in a colander to drain for a while; gently press the excess juices out to remove the bitterness.
In a food processor or using a stick blender, blend the eggplants with ½ the tahini, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic and ¾ lemon juice.
Slowly add the olive oil as you continue blending until a creamy smooth and rich consistency achieved.
Taste the dip; add the other ½ of the tahini to taste and adjust lemon and seasoning.
Best left to develop in the fridge until the following day - bring up to room temperature before serving.
