Vegetarian Recipe: Baba Ghanoush

Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Eggplant, with is lustrously smooth purple skin and pendulous shape, is one of those beautiful vegetables whose preparation is an enigma to many cooks. However, Mark Peel of Campanile came to the rescue with some simple recipes. He first shared this recipe for Baba Ghanoush on October 13, 2007.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Baba Ghanoush

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 medium unblemished eggplant (about 1.5 lbs)

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup olive oil

¾ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp minced fresh thyme

1. Place a cast iron skillet large enough for the eggplant to fit comfortably over high heat and put the eggplant in it. Cook for about 1 hour, carefully turning the eggplant every 15 minutes as the skin becomes black and charred. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool enough to handle (but still hot inside, about 5 minutes).

2. Trim off the stem end of the eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully scrape out the insides with a spoon, discarding the charred skin. Some of the pulp will have darkened; this gives the eggplant a smoky flavor. Mash the pulp in a bowl with a fork, breaking up any large pieces. Stir in the garlic, olive oil, salt , pepper, and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for several hours or refrigerate overnight.