Baba ghanoush (eggplant dip)

Like many great dishes, baba ghanoush is in theory an extremely simple. Just mix the roasted eggplants with the rest of ingredients and you're done. However, if you want to achieve a perfect paste that no Middle Eastern restaurant would be ashamed of, there are a few key aspects to keep in mind:

• First, the choice of the vegetables. A good choice will be to buy several smaller eggplants rather than one large one. Small eggplants have better flavor, fewer seeds and bake faster.
• The second important factor is charring. To get an authentic smoky flavor, we need to charr the eggplants over an open flame. This can be over a stove burner, a gas or charcoal grill or a creme brulee torch.
• Another step that shouldn't be skipped is getting rid of excess water from the roasted vegetables. By straining the pulp in a strainer, you will get a more pronounced flavor and better texture.
• The last important thing is to remember that baba ghanoush is an emulsion of oil and water. Just like when making mayonnaise, we need to slowly and gradually add oil in order to achieve a uniform, creamy consistency.
  
  

Preparation:

1. If you have access to a gas stove, grill or burner then I recommend charring the skin of the eggplants over the flame first. After a few minutes, the skin should turn black.
2. If you don't have access to an open flame, but have an oven with a grill, you can preheat the grill on max setting and, turning every few minutes, burn the skin by placing the eggplants on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
3. In case you don't feel like charring or don't have time to do so, you can go straight to the next step.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and place the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. The eggplants should bake until completely soft. It depends on the size of the vegetables, but usually it will be about 30 minutes.
5. Wrap the roasted eggplants in foil and set aside for 15 minutes.
6. When the vegetables have rested peel them from the skin or cut them in half and scoop out the flesh.
7. Put the flesh into a strainer and set aside for at least 30 minutes to get rid of excess water.
8. Put the vegetables into a bowl and mix with finely chopped garlic, lemon juice and ground cumin.
9. Using a fork, mash everything into a paste.
10. Stirring constantly, add tahini and oil in small portions. The aim is to obtain a uniform, creamy consistency.
11. Season the paste with salt to taste and serve with chopped parsley, fresh pomegranate, a little cayenne pepper or smoked paprica and additional olive oil.