Padlizsankrem

Ingredients

• 2Eggplantmedium-sized, oven-roasted until soft, flesh only
• 3 clovesgarliccrushed raw, sautéed or roasted
• 3 tbspolive oilextra virgin, for stirring in and sautéing
• 2 tbspLemon juicefreshly squeezed
• 1onionfinely chopped, sautéed or grated raw
• 1 bunchparsleyflat-leaf, finely chopped
• saltto taste, best once cooled
• black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
• 2 tbspMayonnaisemakes the spread softer; not vegan (optional)
• 1 tspmustardfor seasoning (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180–390 °F. Wash the eggplants and prick them all over with a knife or fork, or cut them in half lengthwise.
2. Roast the eggplants for about 30–60 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and the flesh is completely soft and gives way when pressed.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and sauté it in a little olive oil until translucent. Crush the garlic, add it to the pan for a brief moment and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
4. Let the eggplants cool a little, then scoop out the flesh with a spoon and discard the skin. If you like a firmer spread, leave the flesh to drain in a sieve for a while.
5. Blend the eggplant flesh with the onion and garlic, or, for more texture, mash it roughly with a fork or a wooden knife.
6. Stir in the lemon juice, then slowly pour in the rest of the olive oil while stirring constantly, until the spread is smooth and silky.
7. Finely chop the parsley and fold it in. Wait until the spread has cooled before seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a little mustard if you like.
8. Let the padlizsankrem rest in the fridge so the flavors can come together, and keep it chilled. Serve with bread, toast or veggie sticks.

Tips and variations

For a smoky note, char the skin over a gas flame or brown it on all sides in a hot pan before roasting. Instead of sautéing the onion, you can grate it in raw, and the garlic can go straight into the eggplant flesh to roast along with it, or you can roast a whole bulb wrapped in foil. A spoonful of mayonnaise and some mustard make the spread softer and creamier, though it's no longer vegan then. Want to play around? Try it as mutabal with strained yogurt and tahini, with dark miso paste and roughly chopped walnuts, or go Middle Eastern with tahini, dates, cumin, paprika and pumpkin seeds caramelized with cinnamon and honey. For a pretty bowl, top it with pomegranate seeds, walnuts, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a little lemon zest, and serve sticks of bell pepper, carrot, celery and cucumber alongside.