Baba Ghanoush

Well here we go. The first recipe I am posting is Baba Ghanoush. As far as I am aware, it is a Turkish dish, and broadly speaking, it is an aubergine-based hummus. For those of you who don't know what hummus is, google it.
I realise that it's nothing much, but one has to start from the bottom, as they say, and work one's way up. The main ingredient is aubergine, but as always, there is more to it than meets the eye. (Elementary, my dear Watson.) Once upon a time, there was a lonely aubergine whose solitary existence in the recesses of an otherwise well-kept fridge led it to reach new depths of darkness and despair. It was so desperate to meet new vegetables and/or simply be eaten that it decided that it was time for Baba Ghanoush. You must know that Baba Ghanoush is a very special time in an aubergine's life indeed, for it represents a long process at the end of which the unhappy aubergine finds itself in a bowl mixed with some of its best friends. Also, it's a once in a lifetime experience.
First, the aubergine lets itself be pricked with a fork, cut in half and then put in the oven until its flesh is cooked. It knows that it is cooked when its skin is all wrinkled and its flesh is soft and tender. That usually happens after 20-30 minutes at a temperature of 200°C, depending obviously on the largeness of the aubergine in question. After its flesh is cooked, the aubergine then passes on to the second phase of its transformation into Baba Ghanoush. It sheds its skin - for it is not needed anymore - and the scooped out flesh is put in a bowl, where it is soon joined by other lonely ingredients. The ancestral laws of Baba Ghanoush dictate that these ingredients be a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of tahine, half a clove of garlic, some olive oil (extra virgin) and the juice of half a lemon. Eventually, all these friends-ingredients are mixed together using a conventional electric mixer until they form a nice and tasty paste (as shown in the picture). But Baba Ghanoush wouldn't be Baba Ghanoush without some garnishing plum tomatoes, another bit of oil and some parsley. However, I have been told that traditions vary on this point, so it is safe to say that the rules of decoration are quite loose. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Again:
-1 aubergine
-1 tsp of tahine
-1/2 clove of garlic
-the juice of half a lemon
-olive oil
-a pinch of salt

Put the aubergine in the oven at 200°C until its the skin is wrinkled and the flesh cooked. Scoop out the flesh, put it in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer until you get a think paste. Garnish to pleasure. Serve cold with (pita) bread.

RICETTA IN ITALIANO:
- 1 grossa melanzana
- 1 cucchiao di tahina (pasta di semi di sesamo)
- 1/2 spicchio d'aglio
- 1 cucchiaio di olio EVO (extra vergine d'oliva)
- il succo di mezzo limone
- sale

Bucherellare la melanzana con i rebbi di una forchetta e metterla in forno a 200 gradi per 30-40 minuti o fino a che la pelle sarà raggrinzita e la polpa morbida. Con cucchiaio prelevare la polpa, metterla in una ciotola, aggiungere un cucchiaio di tahina, mezzo spicchio d'aglio, il succo di mezzo limone, un'abbondante girata d'olio e una presa di sale. Mixare con un frullatore ad immersione e il gioco è fatto!
Assaggiare e in caso aggiungere olio o tahine o limone a seconda del proprio gusto...

Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess