Baba Ghanoush

By

Hands-on time:
40 mins. to 60 mins.

Baking time:
20 mins. to 30 mins.

Total time:
60 mins. to 1 hrs 20 mins.

Yield:
2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant (about 1 pound)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 7/8 ounce olive oil
  • 1 1/4 ounces tahini paste
  • 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
  • chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash the eggplant and char the outside. You can do this on a grill, or directly over the flame on a gas stove. Turn the eggplant so each section of its skin gets blackened and crusty.

2. After the skin is charred, transfer the eggplant to a pie plate and bake it for 20 minutes, until it's quite soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

3. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small baking dish with the olive oil. Roast the cloves for 10 minutes in the oven with the eggplant until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool; peel the cloves and save the olive oil.

4. Peel the eggplant and put the flesh in the bowl of a food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, roasted garlic, and the oil in which the garlic roasted.

5. Puree the mixture until smooth; taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice or tahini as desired. Serve at room temperature with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil on top.