I've been really, really enjoying eggplant dip lately. I wouldn't call myself an eggplant lover, or even a fan, but I could eat a bowl of this perfect, smooth and creamy dip with a whole baguette...to myself.
I had this dip for the first time in the back yard of my friend Tom's house. His Dad's Romanian friend whipped this up one summer afternoon and equated it to his country's interpretation of guacamole. It's simple, dead easy to make, impressive at parties and impressive to yourself.
All you do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cut a large eggplant in half, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until it's soft, about twenty minutes.
Let it sit for ten minutes before scooping out the soft flesh and putting it into a blender. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, two cloves of garlic, juice of one lime or lemon, and salt and pepper. Whiz up until smooth.
This dip is delicious with crusty bread, baguette, sourdough, chips, you name it. Make it fancy with a garnish of parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and stud it with a couple of olives. Grill a piece of fish and make a simple tomato and red onion salad with oil and red wine vinegar dressing - serve the perfect dip on the side.
Let me know how you like it. Just please, make it. You'll be enchanted.
