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The most important ingredient in this dip is not tahini or lemon.

It is patience.

One point is non-negotiable: the eggplant must be cooked until soft and wrinkled before it is peeled, mashed, and blended. If the flesh is still firm, the dip never becomes what it should be.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp tahini

Method

Set the oven to broil.

Rub the eggplants with olive oil until lightly coated, then pierce them all over with a fork.

Broil for at least 40 minutes, turning once, until they are soft and wrinkled.

Let them cool. Peel away the skin and discard it.

Mash the flesh until pulpy. Pulse the garlic in a blender or food processor, then add the eggplant, lemon juice, salt, and tahini. Blend until smooth.

Cook the eggplant past the point of firmness

This is not a recipe where just tender is enough. The flesh needs to collapse.

Tahini supports rather than dominates

Only a small amount is used, keeping sesame in the background while lemon and eggplant remain clear.

The dish succeeds because the vegetable is cooked completely before anything else is asked of it.