Melitzanosalata - Eggplant dip

This is a specialty from Epirus, in Northwestern Greece. There are many varieties of this dip around Greece and there is also a manufactured version which uses mayonnaise. The actual recipe, however, was created as an alternative for the fasting days during the Great Lent (the forty days before Easter) when the diet must be strictly vegetarian. What makes this recipe special is not that much the eggplant per se, but the "tahini", the sesame puree, which enhances the flavor and makes it more intense. There is also a different version which instead of tahini uses roasted ground almonds. It's just a matter of taste and all you have is to experiment yourselves. It's an ideal mezes and accompanies ouzo and tsipouro perfectly.

You'll need:

• 1 kilo of large round eggplants
• 2 large onions
• 2 medium lemons (the juice)
• 100-150 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 200 grams tahini (sesame puree)
• 100 grams dry breadcrumbs
• some chopped parsley
• salt, pepper

Put the eggplants whole in a baking dish and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes or until their skin is slightly burnt. Take them out off the oven, put them in a bowl, cover them with cling film and let them cool down for about 10 minutes. This way it will be much easier to peel them.
Put the flesh of the eggplant in a food proccessor, add the salt, peper, parsley and onion. Mix them for 1 minute, then add 1/3 of the olive oil and 1/3 of the lemon juice. Mix again for two minutes, add the rest of the oil and the lemon. Pour the sesame puree in the mixture, in small doses, making sure that the mix is getting homogeneous. Finally add as many breadcrumbs as you think it needs to become firm. Taste for salt and peper and put in the fridge for an hour. As with all mixtures, this will help the flavors to develop.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with toasted rustic bread!

Good Apetite and have a Nice Great Lent! Kali orexi kai Kali Sarakosti!