The perfect smoky baba ghanouj

[cyan_blue]

Been wanting to add this into the Memories section of my LJ for a while, so I thought I'd share it here...

Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Smoky Baba Ghanouj

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
3 tbs tahini (sesame paste)
1.5 tbs lemon juice
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few sprigs
1/2 medium tomato
1 tbs dark sesame oil
1-2 tsp soy sauce
4 large red bell peppers
Optional: Pita bread, romaine lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop off the hard top 1" of each eggplant, and then cut each eggplant in
half. For each half, score the inside flesh - i.e. cut deep incisions 1/2"
apart, lengthwise and widthwise. Then turn the half over, and make several
deep punctures in the skin of the eggplant. When finished, place the
halves with the inner flesh facing upwards on a baking sheet, and bake for
1 hour. I suggest keeping a window open during this time.

After the eggplants have baked for an hour, take them out of the oven, and
cut each half into six to eight large chunks. Then put all the chunks in a
blender, and blend to as smooth a consistency as possible.

Next add the tahini, lemon juice, cilantro and sesame oil, and blend
again, 'til you have a paste-like consistency.

At this point, start tasting the baba ghanouj. The tahini gives it a
smooth texture and creamy taste. The lemon juice naturally makes the
mixture tarter and wetter; so they balance each other out. If one seems to
be dominating the mixture excessively, add a bit more of the other. The
sesame oil adds moisture; you may want more or less of this.

Here are some other ingredients I added and blent in, to achieve balance:

1/2 tomato (adds moisture and richness, without the calories of the oil; also makes it less smoky)
1-2 tsp soy sauce (adds saltiness) (go slowly with this; it's a strong flavor)

So, taste it as you go and see what it needs. If you follow the amounts
I've outlined here, I think you'll end up with something that tastes good.

Next (or simultaneously while mixing): Cut the 4 red bell peppers in half,
and place skin-side up under broiler for 10-15 min, until skin is half
red, half black. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, place the
red bell pepper halves skin-side-down on serving plates, and spoon a few
tablespoons of baba ghanouj atop each. Garnish each with a sprig or two of
cilantro atop the baba ghanouj, for prettiness.

Or, make sandwiches with the pita, lettuce, baba ghanouj and (sliced)
bell peppers.

The baba ghanouj doesn't "keep" real well, so I recommend eating it while
it's hot :) Enjoy...

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I may try this once it's eggplant season again. :) Do I read right that you leave the skins on?

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Yup - skins on. You might experiment with the amount of the skin that you add in.

[joelzero.livejournal.com]

...I added and blent in, to achieve balance:
Tangentially, I've never heard the word blent before. I will from this point forward use it with pride. :)

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Grin...