Moutabal

Method

1. Light the barbecue. When the flames have died back and the charcoal is grey but with an orange glow (after about 20-30 minutes), put the aubergines on the grill and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning often, until well charred and completely soft (see tip). Let the cooked aubergines cool, then split them open lengthways and scrape the flesh into a bowl, cutting as close to the skin as possible, but taking care not to pick up any charred skin.
2. Mash the aubergine flesh with a fork or whizz in a food processor with the garlic, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil (see tip). The tahini taste should be subtle (remember, you can add more but you can’t take it out), and the lemon juice shouldn’t make it overly tart. Season with sea salt to taste – with aubergine, I find you need a fair amount to bring out the flavour.
3. Put the butter in a small pan and bring to a very low simmer. Use a spoon to remove any white milky solids that rise to the top.
4. Put the moutabal in a shallow bowl and make indents in the top. Pour over the clarified butter, taking care to leave any white solids in the pan.
5. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and parsley, dust with smoked paprika and serve with flatbreads.