aubergines : baba ghanoush.

this is a dip that will make you eat all your bread with, forget the rest of the meal and try to stop your hunger just with this...as a appetiser it kills the main meal, as a snack it ruins the dinner, it is just too powerful in my opinion.

ONLY four ingredients: aubergines, tahina, lemon juice, garlic..

A LOT of art, skill and imagination...

AND: the aubergines will be washed, pierced with a fork here and there, and placed whole on a charcoal grill (BBQ end : after all else is done, put the aubergines on the grill and prepare them for the next day). The aubergines MUST turn black on the outside, and feel well cooked inside, no more juices running. Alternatively, you can grill them in a tray (spread with some oil so they don't stick) in the oven, or on the electric stove (if you can bear the smell) and the master of all cooks does them on the flame of a camping gas fire !!!

Open the aubergines, scoop the inside with a spoon, AND keep some burnt skin as well.

TAHINA is a paste of sesame seeds, widely used in middle eastern cooking, bought off the shelf. If you don't have it, try some oil ( I would use olive oil) blended with sesame seeds toasted earlier. You can try peanut butter in the USA ( it is very strong taste, so dilute it with oil and boiled potato), or you can try almond flakes and oil, or mix some walnuts or pine nuts.

Blend the aubergine flesh and tahina together in a mixer - the puree turns whitish - add a little lemon juice, two cloves garlic, salt and if you want, ground cumin...

The dip has its full flavor the next day. Decorate with some olives and serve with fresh crusty crumbly bread and don't blame me for putting on more weight.

I personally like to add in there: a few drops of wine vinegar (complements the lemon sourness), a small spoonful of sugar, some almond flakes for texture, finely chopped green bell pepper and a hint of chili pepper.

Tell me how did it go afterwards

Dimitri