Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

• • 2 Large eggplant, about 3 pounds total

  • ¼ Cup garlic confit*

  • ¼ Cup tahini

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 Teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¼ Teaspoon cayenne

  • ¼ Cup garlic confit oil

  • Sea salt to taste

Preparation

Making the Garlic Confit*

• Add 1 cup full of peeled garlic into a saucepan

• Add 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil (or another favorite oil)

• Heat on low to medium-low for ~40 minutes

• Once the garlic is softened and browned, strain the oil from the garlic

Making the Baba Ganoush

• Setup the grill for a direct cook

• Preheat the grill to high heat, 450° to 500°

• Add the eggplants and cook on all sides until softened and roasted, turning every ~10 mintues (this should take 30-40 minutes).

• Remove the eggplants and let cool slightly before slicing in half and scraping out the fruit inside. Discard the peelings.

• Add the eggplant and residual juices to a food processor and pulse/process on high speed until smooth.

• Next, add in the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pulse/process on high speed until smooth.

• While processing on high speed slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixed in.

• Serve and optional garnishes of the roasted garlic olive oil leftover from the garlic confit, cayenne, and chopped parsley.

Notes

• This can be made up to 1 day ahead of time. Simply keep it covered in the refrigerator until it is ready to be served.

• Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baba Ganoush does not freeze well.

• You can use either raw or roasted tahini in this recipe.

• If cayenne is too spicy simply substitute with paprika.

• There is no need to process it in a food processor, simply chop with a knife or mash with a fork.

Billy Parisi