Let’s just say I went on a late summer / early fall dip bender. I kept finding myself with leftover produce from recipes I’d made, and because the idea of crunching through an undressed carrot wasn’t exactly inspiring me, I’d instead whip up a Sunday afternoon dip. I made a number of dip variations during this time, from different bases (vegetables, sour cream, feta cheese) and different regions around the world (the American South, Greece, Iran) with varying degrees of success. Now, one of my favorite vegetables and foods to eat in general is eggplant, so when I found this Paula Wolfert recipe for a smoky Turkish eggplant dip, I knew I had to try it alongside some stuffed bell peppers I was making for dinner.
This is one of those recipes that you doubt the entire way through. It wasn’t clear to me until the very end, when I took the lid off the food processor and mixed together both aspects of the dish, that this combination of ingredients was going to taste this way – this good. If you like Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food, you’ll recognize this dip, I just had no idea that it was made with walnuts, peppers, broiled eggplants and…vinegar.
And smoke! The smokiness is what makes this a true winner. Eggplants are heavily broiled or grilled until the skin is completely blistered and the flesh is soft all the way to the core. They then cool inside their burnt skins before the flesh is scooped out, so that the inside takes on an amazing smoky flavor that carries into the dip. Combined with fresh ricotta and the acidity of a charred green bell pepper and a bit of vinegar, the finished dip is shockingly complex and also incredibly easy to eat.
I’m a huge proponent of eating dip for dinner (is there a better way to chow down on tons of fresh produce than with the incentive of something delicious to put on them?) but you could use this so many different ways. It’s a party dip, it’s a veggie side dish to something carb heavy (I ate it alongside rice-stuffed bell peppers), and it’s a fabulous component of a big spread of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean mezze. No matter which route you choose, this dip is going to shine.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants, 3/4 lb. each
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (3 oz.)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 scant cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Pierce the eggplants with a sharp fork in 2 or 3 places (to keep them from exploding) and straddle them as high as you can on a V-shaped roasting rack. Set over a medium-low gas flame, under a broiler or over hot coals and grill for 15 minutes to a side, or until they are completely soft and the skin is black and blistery. The longer and slower the grilling, the creamier the eggplant will be.
- When the eggplants collapse, remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Remove the black parched skin, then squeeze gently to remove any juices. Crush the pulp to a puree with a fork.
- Meanwhile, grill the pepper, turning, until soft and blackened all over (I do this with tongs over a gas burner). Cover with a sheet of plastic, allow to cool, then core, seed and slip off the skin. Finely chop the pepper and mix with the eggplant.
- In a mortar or food processor, mash the garlic to a paste with half the walnuts and add the salt. Add the ricotta, olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and pulse to combine. In a serving bowl, combined the garlic-walnut mixture with the eggplant-pepper pulp and mix well. Correct the seasoning. Mix the parsley with the remaining walnuts an sprinkle over top.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/10/18/roast-eggplant-and-walnut-dip/
