Salad dressings & dips
Baba Ganoush
Aubergines have an unfair reputation of being a bit spongy in texture, but if you apply a generous amount of time and heat, you’ll be rewarded with delectable, yielding, unctuous flesh. Spike it with tahini, garlic and lemon, and you have a classic baba ganoush. Serve it as a dip alongside some crisp veg crudités, or slather it into flatbreads as the backbone of a lavish wrap.
Cook's notes
Mint is a powerful garnish, so you’re likely have some left over. Try using it to make a simple mint tea to serve alongside. Simply scrunch some leaves up and pop them in a cup of boiling water to steep; lovely with a dash of lemon and/or a drizzle of honey/sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp cumin
- 20g pine nuts
- bunch of mint
- olive oil
- salt
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 220˚C/Gas 8. Place the aubergines in a roasting tray, whole. Pierce each one a couple of times with a knife tip to reduce the chance of them popping. Transfer them to the oven. You need to cook them until they are tender and collapsing; ideally until the skin is starting to burn, too. This may take about 30-40 mins. They should be completely soft when squeezed – use a pair of tongs to do this, as they can belch steam.
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Step 2
Alternative, if you have a BBQ lit, you can sit the aubergines directly on the bars over a medium heat and cook, turning often, until burnt and completely collapsing. This will take less time than in the oven, about 20 mins, and will add an extra smoky depth because of the direct flame.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
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Step 4
Place small pan on a medium heat and add the pine nuts – you don’t need any oil. Warm them until they start to colour lightly and smell fragrant, giving them the occasion turn and toss so they don’t burn. Keep an eye on them; it won’t take long. Remove from the pan and keep to one side.
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Step 5
When ready, use some tongs to carefully peel away the skin from each aubergine and remove the calyx that joins it all together at the top. You don’t need to be too fussy; the odd fleck of charred skin is okay.
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Step 6
Pop the soft aubergine flesh in a food processor with the tahini, cumin, 1 tbsp of olive oil, half the garlic and half the lemon juice. Season generously with salt and whizz it together. Taste and tweak the garlic, lemon juice and salt to your liking. Alternatively, you can mash and whisk the aubergine with a fork in a mixing bowl before mixing in the other ingredients; the result is coarser but arguably more traditional.
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Step 7
It’ll keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to serve, spoon into a bowl and garnish with the toasted pine nuts, some freshly chopped mint and a drizzle of olive oil.