[Intro music]
Baba Ghanoush is a popular preparation
coming from the middle east.
It is eaten as a dip with pita bread or vegetables.
It is sometimes added to other dishes.
To make Baba Ghanoush, you will need
a whole egg-plant- about a pound and a half,
seasoning salt and pepper, lemon juice,
olive oil, sesame seeds, garlic and cumin powder.
So wash and pat dry the egg-plant.
Cut off the leafy part.
Discard that.
Then fork all around the egg-plant.
Place the egg-plant on an ungreased cookie sheet
or baking tray. Then place in the oven
at 450 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes
or until it is cooked or soft inside.
Prepare you garlic and your Mise en place.
It's been 35 minutes; the egg-plant should be cooked.
Let's check.
So if I insert a blade into the egg-plant,
it's very soft.
So I am going to make a cut on the egg-plant
just to allow the egg-plant to cool down a little bit.
So let the egg-plant cool down for about 5 minutes or 10 minutes
until it is easy to handle and we will continue.
The egg-plant has cooled down.
Place the garlic in a food-processor
along with the sesame seeds
and the olive oil.
Process until the garlic and olive oil turn into a paste.
Done. Scoop the meat of the egg-plant using a large spoon
and place it into the blender.
Then process again.
And turn off.
So this is the texture that you want to get.
Like a smooth, loose paste.
Add the cumin powder,
the lemon juice- if you like it a little bit acidic
put quarter cup of lemon juice
or if you want it less, may be put an 8th of a cup of lemon juice
depending on your taste.
Season with salt and freshly ground peppercorns.
Mix again.
Good. Taste.
More seasoning- more salt, more pepper.
Process again.
Very nice!
We taste a little bit of the smoothness of the egg-plant,
the acidity of the lemon- just a bit,
and then the seasoning with the cumin.
Very good!
And I like also the fact that we find the sesame seeds here and there.
Really good!
Plate the Baba Ghanoush, keep it refrigerated
it will thicken.
Serve the Baba Ghanoush with vegetables
and pita bread to dip and
I have sprinkled little bit of white and black
sesame seeds on the top to garnish.
Bon appétit! Baba Ghanoush.