Eggplant Caviar

By kmad

An old favorite in Russia, this dish calls for large purple-globe eggplants. Instead of cooking them over an open flame as described below, you can use the oven: Place the eggplants in a shallow baking pan, and place under the broiler. Broil, turning eggplants every five minutes, until skin is blackened all over and the flesh is falling-apart tender, twenty to thirty minutes

Ingredients

• 2 purple-globe eggplants, (1 1/2 pounds each)
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pita or rye bread, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

1.Roast eggplants: Using a wooden skewer, pierce eggplants all over. Turn two gas burners or a gas grill to high flame; place one eggplant on each. Cook, turning with tongs as each side blackens and softens, until skins are completely black and flesh is falling-apart tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from flame; transfer to a nonreactive baking dish. Place one end of dish on a slant so that the juices can run from the eggplants. When cool enough to handle, peel away all blackened skin.
2.Place eggplant flesh in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita or rye bread.