Eggplant Caviar

Similar to the Mediterranean baba ganoush, eggplant caviar is a fancy name for an easy to make, great-tasting dip – think guacamole, but better 🙂

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 Eggplants

4 Scallions

Salt, sunflower oil (or canola oil – if sunflower oil not available), vinegar (white or apple).

Preparation:

Grill eggplants on a high flame – you want to sear the outside of the eggplant until it becomes charred. Puncture the eggplants first, so that steam can escape and they won’t explode on your grill. Turn the eggplants until the peel becomes brittle, and the inside feels soft.

Place the cooked eggplants in a bowl, stem up, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Then remove part of the peels carefully (contents might still be hot), and use a spoon to scoop the inside into a plastic mixing bowl (it’s important to not use metal utensils when preparing this dip). Discard the peels and any fragments of charred peel that might have fallen into your mixing bowl. Drain any juices.

Add 2 tablespoons of coarse salt (adjust more/less to taste) and let them rest for 10 more minutes. Then drain any juices, and you can move on to the last part – the mixing.

Chop finely the scallions and add them in, then start mixing while slowly adding the oil – just like if you were making mayo. Don’t overmix.

When you’re almost done mixing, add a cupful of vinegar and mix it in. This will help the eggplants have even more flavor and be lighter in color. Adjust ingredients to taste, if needed.

Serve on toast, with thin slices of tomatoes on top, or on the side.

Enjoy!