Baba Ghanoush

Place whole eggplants directly on a gas burner set to high flame, or as close as possible to a very hot grill or broiler element. Char on all sides, turning with tongs every 3–4 minutes, until the entire exterior is blackened and the eggplant has completely collapsed and feels hollow. This takes 15–20 minutes total. The more thoroughly charred, the deeper the smoke.

Place the charred eggplants in a colander over a bowl. Cover the colander and let them steam for 10 minutes — this loosens the skin and allows the eggplant to release bitter liquid. Peel away all the charred skin with your fingers, working carefully to remove any large patches of black. Discard the liquid that has collected. Allow the drained flesh to sit for a further 5 minutes to shed more liquid.

Using a fork or pestle, mash the garlic with the salt to a smooth paste. Add the eggplant flesh and mash roughly — some texture is welcome. Beat in the tahini and lemon juice in alternating additions, tasting as you go. The dip will tighten and turn creamy as the tahini emulsifies with the eggplant. Adjust salt and lemon aggressively — it needs more than you expect. Transfer to a serving plate, make a well with the back of a spoon, drizzle with olive oil, dust with paprika, and scatter parsley.