This goes out to all my Dearborn peeps.  I absolutely love the smokey flavor of baba ghanoush and I am not embarrassed to admit that I can down an entire bowl of it in one sitting.  I have tried 3 different ways to cook the eggplant: grilling it, baking it in the oven at high heat, and charring it over a gas burner on my cook top.  BY FAR, the best flavor comes from charring it over the gas burner.  Here’s my recipe:

Baba Ghanoush

1 large purple eggplant

tahini

garlic cloves

lemon juice

kosher salt

olive oil

Turn one of your gas burners on your cook top to high and put your eggplant on top of the grate.  Cook, turning occasionally, until the skin of the eggplant is charred all over.  (It will get a little stinky- it kind of smells like pot, – and it will get messy, but it is well worth it!)  Put the eggplant on a plate and let cool, then peel off the charred skin and try to get rid of the big burned bits.  (Small bits are fine).  In the bowl of a food processor, process 2 garlic cloves until chopped.  Then add eggplant, 1/4 cup of tahini, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Whiz around until blended.  Taste and add more of whatever you think it needs.  It should be nice and smooth, like baby food, but with more texture.  It’s great with some good pita bread, but also delicious with cucumber slices if you are trying to low-carb it.  Enjoy!