Smokey Baba Ganoush
Pairing red wine with a meatless dish is not only possible, but can be absolutely epic. Eggplant is fantastic with red wine, especially when prepared as Baba Ghanoush with all it’s creamy and flavourful middle eastern / mediterranean perfection.
I recommend pairing this with a medium-bodied red wine that’s both smoky and fruit-forward. Something that won’t overpower the dip with intense alcohol and tannin, but that is rich enough to match the rich and savoury flavours of garlic, smoke, and tahini. I chose this gorgeous, value-driven Primitivo from Puglia, Italy (AKA the ‘heel of the boot’) - see recommended wine below to buy it for yourself. Primitivo is actually the same grape as the much more common Zinfandel, but much like Shiraz and Syrah, they are two different styles of wine from different parts of the world. This wine is both rich and smooth, with vibrant flavours of plum, blackberry, cherry, cocoa nibs, vanilla, spice and tobacco smoke. This pairing blew. me. away. You absolutely need to try it!
Recommended wine: *Alternatives suggested if featured wine is unavailable
Smokey Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, halved
- 2-4 tbsp Olive oil (for drizzing eggplant and for final dip)
- 1-2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Kitchen tools: Baking sheet, parchment paper, mesh strainer, hand mixer or food processor, dip serving dish.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil. Place a sheet of parchement paper on a sheet pan. Lay eggplant flesh-side down on parchment paper.
- Roast for 45 minutes or until the skin of the eggplant starts to cave in and the flesh is golden brown / carmalized.
- Remove eggplant from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Scoop the flesh out into a mesh strainer. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to remove excess liquid, stirring and pressing down with the back of a spoon occasionally to help it along.
- Discard liquid and add eggplant to a bowl, followed by olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini. Mix until well incorporated - this can be done by hand if you like it chunky or with a hand mixer or food processor.*
- Taste and then add salt, pepper, and smoked paprika* to taste. Adjust other ingredients as needed for desired taste and texture.
- Garnish with more parsley and smoked paprika. Serve with warm pita, naan bread, or sourdough and a glass of Primitivo!
Notes
- I find a hand mixer works best for mixing to get the right balance of texture (still a bit chunky but well-incorporated).
- Smoked paprika is optional, but this what gives it a really nice smokey flavour! You can substitute with regular paprika or just omit altogether.
