Recipe(tried): Baba Ghannouj

Baba Ghannouj
Source: Saveur Magazine

2 pounds eggplant
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic
Coarse salt
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste available in specialty products at supermarkets)
1/4 cup lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place eggplants on a well-oiled sheet pan and pierce lightly on all sides with a small knife. Bake until soft, about 30 minutes. (For an attractive smoky flavor that will add complexity to the finished dish, grill eggplants on a barbecue or sear them on a very hot, lightly oiled griddle, cooking until their skin wrinkles and takes on a bronze tone. If not cooked through finish in a 350-degree F. oven about 10 minutes.) Allow eggplants to cool enough to handle, then cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out their flesh with a spoon. Set the scooped-out portion aside to cool and discard skin. Place cooled eggplant in a clean thin kitchen cloth or several layers of cheesecloth. Squeeze to remove excess moisture and bitter juices. Set aside in a large sieve or colander to drain further.
Finely chop garlic, then crush it into a paste with 1 teaspoon salt. Place in a food processor, add tahini and lemon juice and process until the mixture thickens - then thin again slightly with several tablespoons of room-temperature water. Add eggplant flesh and remaining olive oil to processor and pulse several times to make a thick, coarse pur e. Season to taste with pepper, adding salt if necessary. Serve in a bowl garnished with either parsley or coriander. Serve with toasted pita chips. (Cut pita into wedges, brush with olive oil, salt to taste, then toast lightly in the oven.) Makes 2 cups.