Melitzanosalata – Greek Eggplant Dip

Thanks to a few new fans in my Greek Food Fan Club and my immediate response to praise, there has been a lot of Greek food coming out of the Whipped kitchen of late.

Spinach and cheese pies, zucchini fritters, meatballs, baked feta topped with oregano and tomatoes, fried peppers, peasant salad and a new one to Whipped… Melitzanosalata or Greek Eggplant Dip/Spread.  (find the other Greek recipes here.) I once found a similar recipe on another blog and he had titled his recipe Eggplant Crack.  Indeed, if you like eggplant and garlic, this stuff will have you hooked after just one touch to the tongue.

I had always wondered about the history of the name eggplant vs. aubergine so before writing this post, I did a little research.  It turns out, that is a door I should not have tried to open.  There was talk of deadly poison, flatulence and mad apples.  In an effort to keep your desire and appetite in tact to sample this recipe, I will leave the details out.  If your curiosity is piqued, you can read more here and here.

Consider this recipe a suggestion and adjust the proportions of garlic and lemon to your taste.  If you have the ability to grill the eggplants, that will add extra flavor.  And, be careful not to over food process the dip.  You can even chop everything by hand if you prefer a chunkier texture.

2 large eggplants
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup quality olive oil
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Use a fork to prick the eggplants all over.  Put them on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Remove and drain on a paper towel if needed.  Let cool until they can be handled.  Cut them in half and scoop all the insides out into a food processor.  Add minced garlic and lemon juice.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Continue to pulse while adding a steady stream of olive oil.  Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.