smoky eggplant dip
This recipe is adapted from one by Judy Rodgers, from the timeless Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and subtle smokiness.
Eggplant dip recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized eggplant (or a couple of Japanese eggplants)
1 garlic clove, peeled and split lengthwise
2 teaspoons or so sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Pita, flatbread, or crackers for serving
Instructions:
Using the open flame of a stove burner, a grill, or the broiler in an oven, char the eggplant’s skin. Turn it several times with tongs to ensure even cooking. This process will take about 15 minutes for a larger eggplant, less for smaller ones. The entire exterior should be blackened and crispy, and the eggplant should be soft and collapsed—when you poke at the largest part it should have plenty of “give”. Once it’s thoroughly charred, put the eggplant in a heatproof bowl (not plastic!) and cover with a plate or heatproof lid. Leave it there to cool; the charred skin with also loosen a bit.
Once eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove it and peel off charred exterior with your fingers. You’ll want to rinse your hands periodically as you go, and once only charred bits remain on the eggplant give it a quick rinse and pat it dry. A few burnt flecks are OK!
Chop off the stem and cut eggplant in half. With your fingers, pull out any hard, ropy sections of seed and discard. You should be left with soft flesh. Chop roughly with a knife. Rub a medium bowl with the cut sides of garlic and a little salt. Put the eggplant flesh in with it and, with a fork, work in the vinegar, olive oil, a little salt and pepper. Taste and add more as you needed. I usually add enough oil to give it a silky consistency, but it should not be greasy or separated. Add enough salt to bring up the flavor, but it should not be salty. Serve at room temperature with pita, crackers, or similar.