Bubaganoush

Pantry Extra Virgin Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt Tahini Green Grocer Fresh Oregano 4 large Eggplant Special Equipment Oven Tray Food Processor

• Cut the eggplant in half but leave the stalk on.

• Press the cut side lightly into a plate of salt and let stand for a few minutes.

• Rinse well in fresh water.

• Pour oil onto an oven tray – be generous.

• Pierce the skin of the eggplant a few times with a small knife.

• Place the eggplant, cut side down, on the tray.

• Bake in the oven at 180-200 degrees for 2-3 hours until a skewer will pierce them like butter.

• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

• If there are lots of mature seeds, remove most of them before the next step. Be aware that this may leave less eggplant than you counted on, so adjust the recipe as necessary.

• Puree the eggplant in a food processor with the tahini, oregano and lemon juice.

• Add the oil in a thin stream with the machine on. Only use enough oil to get the consistency you want.

• Taste the mixture.

• It may not need any salt if the eggplant have absorbed some in the salting, but if it does, season it now.

• Serve with unsalted crackers or fresh baguette.

Notes Young eggplant , and small varieties like Lebanese eggplant, don't really need the salt treatment. If your eggplant have fairly mature seeds in them, they will definitely need salting but even then, don't leave the salt on for more than 5 minutes or the eggplant will become too salty. Many people peel their eggplant before pureeing it, or rather, they scoop the flesh out of the skins but the skin is Perfectly edible and gives a darker color to the baba .