A rustic, elemental dip. Unlike the smooth, tahini-heavy Baba Ganoush of the Levant, Greek Melitzanosalata is coarse, chunky, and relies entirely on the aggressive char of the eggplant skin to infuse the flesh with smoke. It is heavily acidulated with vinegar or lemon and bound with raw garlic and olive oil.
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Char the eggplants. Prick the eggplants a few times with a fork. them directly over an open gas flame, turning with tongs until the skin is completely blackened, blistered, and the flesh has collapsed (about 15-20 minutes ). Alternatively, them in the oven, turning occasionally.
and cool. Place the charred eggplants in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 10 minutes . The trapped will loosen the skin.
Extract the flesh. Carefully peel away and discard the blackened skin. Remove the stem. Do not rinse the flesh, or you will lose the smoky flavor.
Drain. Place the naked eggplant flesh in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Let it drain for 15 minutes to remove excess bitter liquid.
The Mash. Transfer the drained flesh to a mixing bowl. Use a fork to roughly mash it. Do not use a food processor; the texture must be chunky and fibrous.
Build the dip. Stir the minced garlic, red onion, parsley, salt, and pepper into the mashed eggplant.
The Emulsion. While stirring constantly, slowly drizzle in the red wine vinegar, followed by the olive oil. The mixture will slightly emulsify but remain rustic.
Rest. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the raw garlic and onion to mellow and the flavors to meld. Garnish with crushed walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
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