Eggplant Caviar

The second recipe I tested from The Art of Simple Cooking was Eggplant Caviar. Very much like baba ganoush, sans tahini and olives. This would make a great appetizer, it has a super fresh taste with just a hint of garlic.



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 medium eggplants in half lengthwise. Sprinkle the cut surfaces with Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper and olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until soft. Test for doneness at the stem end; it should be very soft. (This took me a good hour and 15 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool.





Scrape the flesh out of the skins into a bowl and stir vigorously to loosen into a puree. Add:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and pounded into a puree
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro (I used 2 of chopped parsley)

Mix well and taste, adding more salt and lemon as needed. (Mine needed no more lemon, but I did need to adjust the salt).

Variations!

Use 2 tablespoons chopped mint in place of parsley or cilantro.

Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed toasted coriander seeds. To toast, heat whole coriander seeds in a heavy pan over medium heat until slightly brown. Crush in a mortar and pestle or under a heavy pan.

Add a pinch or two of dried chile flakes **(I did this one- recommended!)

For a smoky flavor, keep one eggplant whole and char it over hot coals or the open flame of a burner until tender. Cut in half, scrape out the flesh, and combine with other ingredients.

Serve it with pita wedges or pita chips, or just about any type of cracker. It's different, it's tasty. You can make it a little spicy with the addition of some chile flakes. I would put this out as an appetizer with other middle eastern style snacks like hummus or stuffed grape leaves. Mmm. Now I'm making myself hungry, I'll have to go try a bite...and the eggs.