Greece, Turkey, and all the countries in the middle east have their own version of babaganoush, usually with the common elements of eggplant, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. Generally served as part of a mezze spread with flat bread to scoop it up and other snacky things, properly made babaganoush is creamy, smokey and tart, and highly addictive.

To make it more smokey, I sometimes start the eggplants directly over an open gas flame on the stove until the skins are blistered and black, then finish them in the oven until they’re very soft

Makes approx 250gm

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

75gm tahini

60ml lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

2tbs chopped flat parsley

salt and pepper

Method:

Roast the eggplant on a BBQ grill or over an open gas flame until the skin is blistered and black.

Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 180º C or until the flesh is very soft.

Cool, carefully peel and transfer to a sieve over a bowl to drain any excess liquid.

For chunky babaganoush, roughly chop the eggplant and mix well with the other ingredients. For a smooth one, put everything into a food processor and blend for a minute or two.

NB This dip relies on being lemony and salty, so make sure it’s got plenty of both.