RECIPE OF THE WEEK
When I was little, I didn’t like eggplant (also known as “ickplant” in my house). Now, I’m making up for lost time and putting eggplant in everything — pastas, curries, sitr fries, etc. I also love whipping up some homemade baba ghanouj. Here’s a NYT Cooking recipe for you to try:
Ingredients:
2 pounds eggplant, preferably small eggplants
¼ cup lemon juice (more to taste)
¼ cup sesame tahini, stirred if oil has separated out
1 to 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, as needed
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped flat-leaf parsley
Step 1
Prepare a hot gas or charcoal grill. Pierce the eggplants in several places with a fork or the tip of a knife, and place over the hot coals. Grill, turning regularly, until soft and blackened all over.
If you don’t have a grill but do have a gas stove, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover the top of your stove under the burner grates with foil to facilitate cleaning. Turn on your oven fan (so the smoke alarm won’t go off), and roast the eggplants directly over the flame, turning often until charred and softened. Small, thin eggplants will cook through this way, but larger eggplants must be finished in the oven. Wrap in foil, and place in the hot oven for 20 minutes until thoroughly softened. You can also roast the eggplant under a broiler until charred and softened. The flavor of the baba ganoush will not be as smoky.
Step 2
Place the eggplant in a colander in the sink, and allow to cool and drain. Peel and discard the black skins, cut off the stems, and let the eggplants sit in the colander to drain for another 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 3
Purée the eggplant in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the lemon juice, yogurt, tahini and garlic. Add to the food processor, and blend with the eggplant. Add salt to taste.
Step 4
Mound the purée in a bowl or on a platter, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita bread.
