Baba Ganouj - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This traditional Middle Eastern dish is a firm favorite with all my visitors. It takes an hour to prepare, incluing cooking time.

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplant
1 T olive oil
½ c fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T tahini
4 T plain yogurt (optional)
½ t salt


Directions

Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, score the face of each half with the knife, and brush each face with olive oil.

Bake or grill: If baking, place eggplant face up on cookie sheet and put on oven pre-heated to 450. If grilling, place eggplant face down over medium heat.

Cook for 40-50 minutes, until eggplant is black and soft. (Smaller eggplants will take less time.) Lay out on the platter to cool.

With a spoon, remove the eggplant flesh from the skin and place in blender or food processor. Discard skin.

Blend/process on low speed for a few seconds, until consistent.

Mix in remaining ingredients, taste, and add more tahini, lemon juice, and/or salt as necessary. Chill for about an hour.

Arrange baba ganouj in a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with vegetables, warm pita bread, or felafel.

Notes The broiling/grilling step is the key to delicious baba ganouj: it makes the eggplant taste rich and smoky.