Alton Brown's Baba Ghannouj, reposted by Melinda

Baba Ghanouj (or Ghanoush)--photo source

There are as many ways to spell the name of this eggplant dip as there are versions of the recipe! It's an eggplant-based, Middle-Eastern dip that Gabriella made at our farm tasting on Friday the 20th, but it's not the same recipe.

Alton Brown's Baba Ghannouj--makes 1 cup

• 1 medium eggplant or several smaller ones
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sesame tahini (find at any grocery store in the ethnic section)
• 1/2 bunch parsley, leaves only
• salt & pepper to taste

Pierce some holes in the skin of the eggplant (to avoid explosion of said eggplant) and grill over medium-high heat, turning every 7 minutes, till the skin is blackened and the body is nice and soft. Total time for grilling is ~30 min. If you don't have a grill, you can roast your eggplant in a 375 degree oven for about 30 min.

Remove eggplant from the grill (or oven) and let cool. Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and discard [or scoop out the flesh with a spoon]. Place eggplant flesh in a colander and drain for 10 min [Melinda has not found that necessary, but have at it if you wish.]. In food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice, tahini, & parsley & pulse to combine. Add the eggplant flesh. Season w/ salt/pepper to taste & pulse to combine. Adjust the flavor with more tahini or lemon juice if you like. If it tastes bitter, add a smidge of sugar or honey. Research shows that the white variety of the plant is sweeter in flavor.  [But on the other hand, Melinda has never had any problem with the lavender or purple varieties of eggplant!]  (recipe source)