Serves 4 to 6
Serve with crackers or with hot pita bread as a first course.
• 1 lb. eggplant
• ¼ cup tartar Sauce
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), or more to taste
1. Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and roast it in a preheated 400-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until it is soft throughout. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it in half and scrape out all the pulp.
2. Mince the eggplant pulp and add to it the tartar Sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir the mixture thoroughly, taste it, and correct the seasonings.
3. Spread the eggplant mixture evenly in a shallow serving dish, drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of it, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and chill for several hours before serving.
