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Grilled Eggplant Dip

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45 mins total
0 mins prep

Recipe Filed Under
Vegetable, Eggplant, Middle Eastern, Barbecue & Grilling, Easy, Vegetarian, Vegan, Appetizer, Spread & Dip, Entertaining, Cocktail Party

Provided By: Steven Raichlen

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Grilled eggplant turns up in countries as varied as Japan, Israel, and Trinidad and Tobago. Most often the eggplant is charred in the skin to make some sort of dip--baba ghanoush in the Middle East, for example, or choka in the West Indies. Elsewhere, as in Turkey and Israel, it is diced and mixed with other vegetables to make smoke-scented salads. Cooking whole eggplant is one of the first things I teach in my grilling classes. The reason is simple: it is one of the few foods you can burn and still come out looking good. Indeed, not only can you burn the skin, you should burn the skin, for this is what gives you the smoke flavor.

Ingredients

Serves:

2 Cylindrical Eggplants (about 1 pound each)

6 cloves Garlic, cut lenghtwise into 3 or 4 lengthwise wedges

3 tablespoons Tahini

3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice, or more to taste, plus lemon wedges for serving

1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt (Kosher or Sea), or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, or more to taste

3 tablespoons Flat-Leaf Parsley, minced

Lettuce Leaves

Hot Paprika

Grilled Pita Bread, for serving

Directions

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.

Make slits in each eggplant and insert the garlic wedges.

When ready to cook, place eggplants on the hot grate and grill until the skins are charred all over and the flesh is very soft 20 to 30 minutes in all, turning with tongs. Transfer the grilled eggplants to a plate to cool.

Peel the burnt skin off the eggplants. Do not worry about removing it all--a few flecks add character.

Coarsely puree the grilled eggplants and their garlic in a food processor.

Add the tahini, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or lemon juice as necessary; the mixture should be very flavorful. Add the parsley and process in short bursts, just to mix. Spoon the dip into a small bowl lined with lettuce leaves, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with lemon wedges and grilled pita bread.