Eggplant Caviar Recipe

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Here's a wonderful tasting eggplant caviar recipe that you'll frequently find served in Provence in the south of France. You can serve it as an appetizer dip with grilled French bread, or try it with simply prepared fish or meats.

You may have heard of baba ganoush a popular eggplant dip made in Lebanon. It usually includes cumin and tahini for flavor. This eggplant caviar recipe is similar, but with more of an emphasis on the flavors you'll find in the south of France: tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.

It is a very adaptable dip and can be served as both an appetizer and an accompaniment to other dishes. For a flavorful Provencal appertizer plate, offer it to your guests along with this olive tapenade and grilled French bread rounds. Serve with a glass of cold sweet muscat and you'll feel like you are in the south of France.

You can also serve this eggplant caviar recipe with simply prepared meats and fish. It goes especailly well with this breaded chicken recipe. I can happily make a meal of brown rice slathered in eggplant caviar and if you like eggplant, you'll love this recipe with all sorts of things.

No time to make your own? Try this quality jarred eggplant caviar. This is one of those condiments, similar to tapenade, that I don't mind buying prepared. The ingredient list reads just like what I'd put in myself.

This recipe is so easy to make, that you may like to whip up a double batch and keep it in the refrigerator. Keep it in a sterile glass jar with a film of olive oil on top, and it should be fine for several days.

Caviar d'aubergines

2 eggplants
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the eggplants in two lengthwise, and place cut side down on a no stick baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until very tender.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough so you can handle them.

Remove the skin (it should slip right off) and place the flesh in a food processor. Add the garlic, tomato, parsley, and lemon juice and blend until very smooth. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).

Serve warm or cold.

Makes about 2 cups.

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