Baba Ghanoush (eggplant dip) Recipe

Although not quite as ubiquitous as hummus, baba ghanoush has gained a lot of popularity. It is easy to make but hard to hit the right flavor notes. In my opinion, how smoky the eggplant flavor is along with a rich rustic texture is what sets one baba ghanoush above another. The eggplant cooking method here is high heat and a good char on the outside. A lot of recipes on the internet will tell you to use 1/4 cup or more of tahini, but I think that is too much and takes a shine away from the eggplant flavor. Also for this dish, it is better to break out a mortar and pestle and skip the food processor. Not to start a dip controversy but when made right, I would pick baba ghanoush over hummus any day.

Ingredients:

• Italian Eggplants (2 medium eggplants)

• garlic (1-2 cloves)

• tahini (2-3 tablespoons)

• lemon (1/2)

• extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons and more for serving)

• white pepper (optional)

Recipe:

• Fire up your grill to 450 degrees. I use a wood grill but charcoal also works great but you can also use your gas stovetop so long as you have proper ventilation to avoid setting your fire alarm off.

• Poke a few holes in each eggplant and set directly on the grill. Grill the eggplants for 15 minutes or until the outside is charred and the inside is gooey and soft. Take off the grill and let the eggplants rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain the water out of the eggplants with a colander or cheese cloth.

• Using a mortar and pestle, mash the eggplants in batches and transfer to a bowl. Mash your garlic in the mortar and pestle and transfer to the bowl. To the bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and white pepper (to taste). Mix the ingredients well and serve immidiately or refrigerate and serve at a later time. For presentation, I like to garnish the final product with some mint or parsley in the middle and lines of sumac and smoked paprika on the side but you can also just eat it straight out of the bowl too. Enjoy!