Baba Ghanoush

My father used to say the name means "Daddy is coy" - i.e., Mama fixes this dish when she wants to warm him up!

1 large eggplant (aubergine). Must be ripe!
2 - 3 tablespoons tahini
1 - 2 lemons, juiced and strained
2 - 3 cloves garlic (use fresh - no substitutes!)
Salt
Olive oil

Roast the eggplant on open gas flame - range top or barbecue. If your stove is electric, split the eggplant lengthwise, place face down on cookie sheet and bake in hot oven on top rack 30-45 minutes. For open flame roasting, use a fork to turn often. Skin will wrinkle and char, and flesh will shrivel and become soft. When eggplant is completely soft all over, remove to a bowl, slash once or twice to drain out bitter juice, and let rest until cool enough to handle. Some authors suggest cooling the eggplant inside a brown paper bag.

Cut off stem and peel away skin. Scrape flesh into bowl of food processor or blender. Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice and process. Amounts depend upon size of eggplant and your taste - please sample frequently. Salt to taste.

If you don't have a food processor or blender, the eggplant is quite easy to mash by hand. Mash the garlic with the flat of a broad knife, then mince it fine. If you have a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with salt into a nice paste. A large mortar and pestle would do nicely for mashing the whole dish together.

Serve at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil, garnished with a black or green Mediterranean (NOT California) olive, or sprigs of cilantro or parsley.

Comments

[Darlene]

I attended a large gathering for an Arabic funeral years ago. The dish they served stuck in my memory and I would llike to find it again. There was a very large round dish, with bread chunks in the bottom. There was rice, pine nuts, and lamb chunks or shanks piled high. They poured milk or yogurt or some white sauce over the top. The bread soaked up the sauce. People stood side by side and scooped with their hands around the table. It was wonderful. What is it called and is there a recipe? Thank you