Great smoky eggplant caviar dip! Perfect for spreading on crackers for an easy, healthy and delicious appetizer.
Please forgive the lofty name of this simple dish. Like its Texas cousin, the black-eyed pea caviar, “eggplant caviar” has nothing to do with salty sturgeon eggs.
It’s called that for a number of reasons I suppose. You put a dollop of it on a cracker to eat it, it has a slightly bumpy texture and the taste is exquisite. It’s not remotely fancy, but you can pretend, right?
My friend Kathi brought this aubergine caviar to a dinner I hosted this summer and if it wasn’t for the fact that several people had to be served I could easily have eaten the whole load. (I got my wish the following week when we made another batch together. Amen for testing the recipes.)
It’s paleo. It’s vegan. It is wonderful.
It looks like Baba Ganoush but without the sesame tahini. Just roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
eggplant caviar
ingredients
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2 Middle globe eggplants (about 2 pounds or 900g total)
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5 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oildivided
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 Middle Red pepper
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3 cloves garlic
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1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
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1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
special equipment
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food processor
method
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Fry (or grill) the eggplants:
Preheat the oven to 205°C. (Alternatively, you can grill the eggplants, in which case prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat.)
Halve the aubergines lengthways. Using a sharp knife, score the cut side of the aubergines in a criss-cross pattern, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Prick the skin side of the eggplants all over with the tines of a fork.
Line a sheet pan with foil. Spread 2 tablespoons olive oil on bottom of sheet pan and sprinkle evenly with salt. Place the eggplants, cut-side down, on the foil-lined pan. Place in the oven and cook for 35 minutes, or until fully cooked through and very tender.
If crickets, halve the aubergines lengthwise and prick the skin side with the tines of a fork. Brush the cut surface with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill cut-side down until lightly browned and cooked through. If the aubergines are browning too quickly, turn them over and finish cooking on the skin side.
Once the aubergines have cooled, peel off the tough outer skin and discard.
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Roast red peppers:
While the eggplant is roasting in step 1, roast the red peppers. There are three ways you can do this. Brush the peppers lightly with olive oil.
You can place the peppers under a broiler in a grill pan and grill on all sides until the skin is completely black. OR you can place the peppers directly on the grate of a gas stove and roast over an open flame until black on all sides. OR you can grill over high direct heat and flip until black on all sides.
Once the peppers are blackened, place them in a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for a few minutes. Once the peppers have cooled to the touch, peel off the charred outer skin. Remove stem and seed.
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Puree the garlic, roasted eggplant and peppers:
Place the garlic, peeled eggplant, peeled roasted peppers in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
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Mix with oil, vinegar, salt, basil, pepper:
Transfer the eggplant mixture from the food processor to a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, chopped basil, and pepper.
Serve with crackers, pita chips, crostini toast, or add celery or cucumber sticks for a gluten-free option.
Links:
Aubergine Caviar (Caviar d’Aubergine) by David Lebovitz
Russian Eggplant Caviar by Sassy Radish
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 156 | calories |
| 9g | Fat |
| 20g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
