The smoked alchemical transformation of a humble vegetable. Eggplant is charred directly over an open flame until the exterior is completely blackened and the interior has collapsed into a smoky, silky, almost liquid state. The flesh is combined with raw tahini, lemon, and garlic to create a dip whose defining characteristic is the irreplaceable flavor of wood smoke and char. No broiler or oven can replicate the direct flame char; the Maillard reaction on the skin and the pyrolysis of the eggplant flesh are the whole point.
One-click swap-outs. Original is never overwritten.
Nudge the dish. Each click stages a micro-adjustment you can pick up at the stove.
No tweaks staged. Click a direction to add a suggestion.
We'll highlight steps to skip, parallelize, or make ahead.
Click any ingredient to explore its profile, pairings, and related recipes.
Highlighted techniques open a deep-dive. Time phrases include a built-in timer.
Place the whole, unpierced eggplants directly on the grate of a gas burner set to its highest flame, or over charcoal. The direct contact with fire is mandatory. Char them, turning every 5 minutes with tongs, until the skin is completely blackened all over and the eggplant has fully deflated and collapsed. This takes 20 to 30 minutes for large eggplants.
Transfer the charred eggplants to a colander set over a bowl. Let them rest for 15 minutes . The continues to cook the interior and the colander allows the extremely bitter, dark liquid to drain away. Do not skip the draining step.
Peel away all of the blackened skin with your fingers under cold running water. You will have soft, grey-brown, smoky flesh. Place it in the colander again and squeeze gently to remove any remaining liquid.
Roughly chop the eggplant flesh on a board rather than processing it. Baba ghanoush should be textured and rustic, never smooth like hummus. In a bowl, combine the chopped eggplant, tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt. Mix together.
The Finish. Taste and adjust; it should be smoky, bright with acid, and nutty from the tahini. Spread onto a plate, drizzle generously with olive oil, scatter with parsley, and serve with warm pita or as part of a mezze spread.
NaN%Hot polenta spreads across a sheet tray to set firm, then gets cut into shapes, dredged through cornmeal for a gritty crust, and pan-fried until the exterior crisps against the tender interior.
1h · Serves 4 · 3 ingredients
NaN%Fall/Winter
1h · Serves 4 · 8 ingredients · 419 cal
NaN%White wine and olive oil come together with lemon or orange zest, fresh herbs, parsley sprigs, and black pepper in a simple stir-together marinade suited to most vegetables — halve the oil for fruit.
1h · Serves 4 · 6 ingredients · 261 cal
