Courtesy Daniel Boulud
Makes approximately 2 cups
4 eggplants (about 1 lb each)
½ tbsp minced and cooked garlic;
olive oil, as needed
2 tbsp tahini paste
½ cup thick Greek yogurt
1 lemon, juice
1 ½ tsp za’atar spice, plus more for garnish
salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ tsp Aleppo pepper
micro basil, for garnish
Preparation
The day before:
Preheat grill to high. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick eggplants several times with a fork, and grill until charred. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake eggplant until soft inside, flipping eggplant halfway through, about 30-40 minutes total. Let the eggplant cool, then slice lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a colander lined with cheesecloth, fold cheesecloth over top. Set colander over a bowl, press gently and then refrigerate overnight to drain.
Transfer eggplant to a cutting board and chop until pasty (you should have 1 lb of eggplant). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the reserved garlic, yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, za’atar spice, Aleppo, and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to a serving dish and with a spoon, indent a small hole in the center and fill with olive oil. Sprinkle with extra za’atar, Aleppo pepper and micro basil to garnish.