I love baba ganoush. It’s smoky, rich, creamy, and vegan to boot. I love it with crispy pitas and I love with soft pitas – I just love it. What I don’t really love is making it because I find any eggplants that aren’t Asian eggplants a pain to cook with because of the seeds. But, I went on a baba ganoush journey and friends, I’m going to share my secrets.
First off, the kind of eggplant you use matters. Don’t go for globe eggplants because they are the seediest of the bunch. You want to look for the slightly slimmer, just a wee bit darker Italian eggplant. Second, you can break out the grill for a really smoky baba ganoush, but, if you’ve already packed away all of your summer things, the oven works just fine. Third, season it to taste – baba ganoush is one of those things that can take a lot of seasoning so taste and season as you go. That’s it! You’re on your way to deliciousness.
PS – When you’re buying eggplants, look at their bottoms – you want the ones that have the round belly button looking bit, not the ones where the bottoms that look like a little line. The ones that have a line are girls, and they have way more seeds, which aren’t friends with baba ganoush.
Really Good Basic Baba Ganoush Recipe
serves 4-6 as an appetizer
- 3 medium Italian eggplants, about 2 pounds
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- juice from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- kosher salt
via Serious Eats
Adjust the rack in your oven 6 inches below the broiler element and set to high. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant, spaced apart on the sheet. Lightly pierce the eggplants with a sharp pairing knife.
Broil, flipping occasionally, until very tender, about 1 hour. A fork should meet no resistance when you poke the eggplants near the stem.
Remove from the oven and gather up the foil, crimping together to create a steamy package. Let rest for 15 minutes.
When the 15 minutes are up, carefully use a sharp knife to open the eggplants lengthwise. Scoop out the soft insides and place in a fine mesh strainer, pushing so you can discard some of the excess liquid. Place the drained eggplant in a bowl. Repeat until all of the eggplants are drained.
Add garlic and lemon juice to the bowl with the eggplant and stir with a fork until everything comes together in a rough paste. Stirring vigorously, add in the tahini until incorporated. Add the olive oil in a thin stream while stirring constantly. The mix should be pale and creamy. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and extra lemon juice if desired.
Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy with warm pitas, pita chips, or vegetables.
Notes: This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for four days. Let baba ganoush come to room temperature before enjoying.
