Aubergine Dip (AKA Fake Hoffman's Fake Chopped Liver)
I'm staying with S and N for the weekend, and they put in a special request. This recipe is based on years' of eating the stuff, and working out how to recreate it. Unlike Hoffman's, I don't put 58% mayonnaise in mine.
Ingredients
To make a lot (it's quite rich):
- 3 largeish aubergines
- 4 or 5 large onions
- 3 or 4 large garlic cloves
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- sugar
- salt
- pepper
- oil
Method
- Slice the onions finely, and slow cook in a little oil. The aim is to get them translucent, rather than crispy.
- Garlic: you have two choices. Either crush and add to the onions, which is fine, or for a better flavour, roast in the oven, and then squeeze in the onions when they're about 75% of the way there.
- Prick the aubergines with a fork, lots of times, and lay on a roasting tray. No oil. Cook on a high over for about half an hour, and then put under the grill, turning regularly, for about 15 minutes. The aim is to have them squashy.
- When the onions are very soft, add some sugar and cook down some more. Let them go brown.
- Take the aubergines out from the grill, slice open, and scoop the mostly-cooked flesh into the onions.
- Keep cooking, till it gets really mushy. You might need to add a little more oil: play it by ear. Season as you go along: salt, pepper, a little more sugar if you fancy.
- Pour the aubergine-onion mixture into your blender, and shsssuuujsh (well know verb for blending something to a pulp). Add the hardboiled eggs, and shsssuuujsh some more.
- Do a final seasoning check, and you're ready to go.
- It's easy, time-consuming, but ultimately worth it.
- For the full-fat experience, add some mayonnaise.
