Baba Ghanoush

Considering how much I enjoy baba ganoush and how often I make it, it does surprise me I haven't posted my recipe for this simple but delicious dish until now.
If ever I plan a barbeque, I invariably buy aubergine so that I can grill them on the dying charcoal embers. Cooking them in this way imparts a smoky flavour that no matter how hard I try I just can't get from grilling them in my kitchen.
Whether you cook your aubergines on a spent barbeque or under a grill, this recipe is still worth making, it has even converted dyed in the wool aubergine dissenters.

For this recipe you will need,
3 medium or 2 gigantic aubergines
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced (I use a microplane)
1 tablespoon of tahini,
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaf
1 to 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
more olive oil than you would ever think possible
salt, pepper and I like to add a teaspoon of smoked paprika just for the smoke.

Begin by cooking your aubergine. Pierce the skin a few times with a knife and either place the aubergines on a barbeque grill when the enbers are beginning to give up the ghost or place under a moderate grill for 5 to 10 minutes each side. You need the aubergine to have a slightly charred outside and a totally soft inside. Keep an eye on them and you'll be fine. Allow the aubergines to cool. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for a minute or two until they just begin to darken but no more,  Grind them up in a pestle and mortar until you have a fine nut brown powder, now that's the colour Julia should paint her new dining room. Cut the aubergine lengthways and with a spoon, scoop out the cooked flesh. place in a large bowl and add the cumin, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, seasoning and coriander leaf, using a fork mix the ingredients up well until you have a soft mousse like consistency. If the aubergines have been cooked enough there should be no lumps. Finally add olive oil, at least a quarter of a cup of good olive oil and trust me, twice as much if you feel brave enough. This dip, for after all that is how it's eaten, is not only an aubergine based dish but also an olive oil based one. leave at room temperature, having adjusted the seasoning to suit, for 3 to 5 hours before serving with flat bread, delicious!