Originally, this dip is rather bumpy and coarse as ingredients are minced with a meat mincer or crushed with a fork or a pestle. I used a blender as I wanted to get a completely smooth mixture, but you can choose whatever version you prefer.
And those are the ingredients you'll need:
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- First, prepare the eggplant: remove the pedicle and cut the eggplant into half lengthwise. Place it into a baking pan covered with parchment paper, with the skin up, and bake into a preheated oven at 200°C for nearly 10 minutes, or until the skin becomes brown.
If possible, you can grill the eggplants instead. This will give the spread even better flavor.
If using hazelnuts, you may want to crush them first before putting them into the blender.
Let the blender run until everything is fully mixed and completely smooth.
Doctor with some more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- If you decide to make the coarse version, after step 2, mince the eggplant with a meat mincer, or chop it finely, or crush it with a fork. Then, add finely crushed or grated cheese, as well as nuts and garlic that you have previously smashed with a pestle. Add oil and combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can serve this dip/spread plain with some bread or along with some fresh vegetables. I warmly recommend tomatoes for this!
You can, of course, use it as a sandwich spread, or even as a side dish with roasted meat or baked potatoes.
I also used it to make some bruschetti: this spread as a base, then some crushed tuna and finished with some grated yellow cheese and onion slices. It was fabulous!
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