Babagannuş

Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Appetizer

• 5 Eggplants
• 2 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 1 ½ T. Red Pepper Paste
• ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Salt
• Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ bunch Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 2 T. Lemon Juice
• 3 T. Olive Oil

1. The Eggplants, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes all get roasted. To prepare them, wash well and allow to drip dry. (Typically we incorrectly refer to them all as vegetables, but actually botanists classify each of them as fruit, so I will do so here.)
2. Use a fork to poke holes to puncture the skin in several places on each fruit. (This will ensure that the fruit doesn’t explode with the high heat and that they cook the whole way through.)
3. Place each fruit on a wire oven rack, preheated at 400^o Bake for 15 minutes then use tongs to flip each fruit to the other side. If you have a grill you prefer to use that works well also.
4. While those are roasting, sauté the Onions in a frying pan with some Olive Oil.
5. Add the Red Pepper Paste and Seasonings to the Onions and stir until well mixed and bubbly. Set aside to cool.
6. At this point the Bell Peppers and Tomatoes are probably soft and can be removed. Bake the Eggplants another 15 minutes.
7. Set Tomatoes on a cutting board to cool enough to handle, then deskin and chop finely. Place in a small bowl and set aside to finish cooling.
8. Upon removing from the oven, place the Bell Peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will cause the fruit to steam so that it is easy to remove the skins. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then remove the skins and seeds and chop finely. Place in a small bowl and set aside to finish cooling.
9. Once Eggplants are completely tender and limp and the outside is starting to blacken, remove from oven. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so they steam and it’s easy to remove the skins. Let sit for 15 minutes.
10. Remove Eggplants from the bowl one at a time. Use a knife to slit the skin lengthwise (from tip to end). Use a spoon to gently scrape the soft fruit from the skin.
11. When all Eggplants are deskinned, dispose of skins and chop the Eggplant finely. Place in a small bowl and set aside to finish cooling.
12. In a medium bowl, combine all of the above ingredients which have been prepped.
13. Mix in the Parsley, Garlic, Lemon Juice and Olive Oil.
14. Refrigerate until cool or serve at room temperature. This is a delicious appetizer, dip or side dish for any party or meal!

 Freshly washed and ready to roast

Step 4 & 5

Roasting in the oven

Deskinning the roasted fruit

Everything ready in prep bowls, waiting to be mixed together

Afiyet olsun! Enjoy!