Baba Ganouj on Hot Embers

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Lebanon's answer to Mr Ducasse's Eggplant Caviar is baba ganouj, one of many the ways used around the Meditteranean to turn eggplants into a gorgeous spread. This recipe is longer than most and calls for a woodfire. It is spectacular.

Baba Ganouj
Lebanese eggplant caviar
4 large eggplants
1 head garlic
6 lavash breads
olive oil
half a cup sesame seeds
half a cup poppy seeds
1 bunch fresh thyme
Optional:
fresh mint leaves
tahini
yogurt
lemon

Prepare a bonfire with apple wood or another hard wood.

When the wood is dying, on this deathbed lay the eggplants one by one in the nascent embers with the garlic head at their feet.

When this bed of glowing embers has turned to a bed of ashes, you will remove the eggplants and let them rest until cold.

Open these charred black sarcophaguses and remove from them the miraculous amber marrow.

When all the pulp has been removed, discard any charred eggplant skin or other burnt remains who do not belong to the world of the living. Let the pulp rest for an hour and pour off any of the bitter water it will cast off.

Open the charred garlic head and squeeze it until the golden pulp comes out. Discard any burnt garlic.

Mash the eggplant to a pulp using a fork or in a mortar. Whatever you do, don't use a blender or electric mixer. It is desirable for the baba ganouj to have some texture.

Seasoning baba ganouj is different in every country and even in Lebanon, there is no two families doing it the same way. The usual ingredients are lemon, olive oil, tahini, yogurt, fresh mint, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander and ground almonds. You can use all of them, adding them gradually and tasting throughout the whole process. Or you can keep it simple and use only a handful to focus the dish on the eggplant pulp's wonderful smoky flavor.

II. The Toasted Lavash Bread and Its Topping

Remove the stems from a bunch of fresh thyme and finely snip the leaves.

In a large heavy-bottomed pan pour half a cup sesame seeds and bang the pan gently against the stove until they are spread in an even layer. Turn the heat on to medium-high and stay right next to the stove. As soon as you see the seeds heat up, start tossing them around constantly until they have turned pale brown. Remove them from the pan and into a plate to stop the roasting. This process turns the bland sesame seeds in a wonderfully tasty spice.

Combine the roasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds and thyme in a mortar. Add enough olive oil to obtain a thick paste. Reduce some of the seeds to a pulp using the pestle but leave the rest whole for texture.

Lavash bread can be found in most cities nowadays. We will split each bread lenghthwise, oil and roast it to obtain crispy crackers.

Using a knife to open the bread pockets, carefully separate the two discs with your hands. It is easy to do but make sure not to tear the very thin bread.

Heat up a grill or your oven. Brush each bread with a little oil and bake over high direct heat until brown and crispy. You can spread the toppings on top before or after the roasting.

Continue until all the bread discs have been baked. Spoon the remaining toppings on top.

Serve the baba ganouj with the crispy lavash bread as an appetizer. I recommend you prepare everything but the baked lavash in advance and bake them before your guests as soon as they get there. A very memorable and sophisticated dish!

I was inspired to cook directly over hot embers by The Magic of Fire by William Rubel, an amazing book about cooking on open fires. This is one of my 20 favorite cookbooks and I have several hundreds cookbooks in 6 languages. You need to get this book - the recipes are all traditional and yet immensely original. Mr Rubel (www.williamrubel.com) is a Californian home chef versed into literature and gastronomy. He cooked some of his dishes at Chez Panisse, one of America's top restaurants, and yet most recipes use only a handful of ingredients. A masterpiece. Warmly recommended!