Growing up, baba ganouj was a regular dish on our family table. At our house, Fridays were meat-free, so we often ate baba ganouj because of the affordability and how easy it was to serve up family style. I’ve always loved the dish’s creaminess and how fun it is to dip with veggies and pita bread. Adding white chocolate to a classic baba ganouj balances out any bitterness from the eggplant, and it takes the creaminess to the next level.
INGREDIENTS:
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 medium eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup tahini
4 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pita bread for serving
Additional garnish options: pomegranate molasses, cilantro, Aleppo pepper, ground cumin, green onion, pistachio slivers, toasted & chopped walnuts, toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oven broiler on low broil.
- Place garlic and eggplant, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven.
- Broil both the garlic and the eggplant until tender and charred all over. This will take about 20 minutes for the garlic and about 40 minutes for the eggplant.
- Once tender, scoop the flesh of the eggplant, discard the skins, and peel the garlic.
- While still warm, transfer the garlic and the eggplant to a food processor with the lemon juice, tahini, white chocolate, half of the parsley, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and purée until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with remaining parsley and a drizzle of olive oil; serve with pita and any other garnishes as desired.
White chocolate is made primarily from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Unlike dark or milk chocolate, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids, which are responsible for the brown colour and characteristic flavour of chocolate. The cocoa butter provides the creamy and smooth texture of white chocolate. Sugar is added to sweeten the chocolate, giving it a pleasant taste.
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Chef ILona Daniel is Harrowsmith's Food Editor and the founder of Tribe Fresh Events and Consulting, a purpose-driven insights consultancy accelerated by modern approaches to the hospitality industry, immersive experiences, and community and culture development. She has worked on projects around the world and is on the Board of Directors for the Tourism Association of PEI. Chef Ilona is a media personality, and a Culinary Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada.
