Fire-pit Courgette Baba Ghanoush

This recipe makes a fantastic addition to a mezze platter and a refreshing element to a standard fire pit meal. Having said that, you don’t need a firepit to make this recipe. But if you’re looking for an excuse… You don’t have anything to set fire to then you can use a grill pan or even a naked flame on a gas hob to get the same results (but you will want to open a window and keep the extractor fan on full blast).

This recipe is all about embers. Allow a fire to burn a couple of logs right down to glowing embers before you lay your courgette directly on them. No need to wrap in foil, we want all that smoky, ashy goodness and direct contact with the wood. Much like aubergine, the original star of a baba ghanoush, courgette fits neatly into the flavour profile of smooth, creaminess, but with a higher water content that promotes steaming as it cooks, softening the ingredient as the outside chars. A lot of baba ghanoush recipes include tahini and sesame seeds that help boost the savouriness of the dish with a subtle bitter nuttiness. For this version I opted out in order to keep 100% of the ingredients seasonal and local to Britain. Instead, I used smoked garlic, salt, oil and lemon juice in order to enhance and promote the qualities of our prized vegetable, the courgette.

Grill Pan Technique

It goes without saying that if you’re using a grill pan, I assume it’s seasoned cast iron and not non-stick. To use this kind of pan the way it is intended it must be heated to smoking point before adding any ingredients into it. This process will quickly destroy the coating on non-stick equipment and release chemicals into your food. For this reason I cannot recommend enough that you purchase a cast iron version.

As mentioned before, if this is the technique you’re going to use, pop the pan on the hob on full blast and wait for it to start smoking. Only when it begins to smoke should you add the courgette. Lay it on gently and don’t disturb it for a few minutes. Overhandling the courgette will interrupt the charring process, allowing it to cool, which will hold it at a colder temperature (where it will soften and steam, falling apart). Once the underside of the courgette is suitably charred, turn it over using tongues and begin charring the next side. Continue like this until the whole thing is nicely charred and the skin is blistering away from the body, then leave it to cool on a tray to catch the moisture it will release.

Naked Flame Hob Technique

For this version you will need a gas hob and keen eye. Light the hob on a medium flame and lay the courgette over it. Using tongues, gradually rotate the courgette, keeping a close eye on it’s softness as it cooks. We want it to blister and char on the outside and begin to soften, but not full as this will increase the chances of it collapsing onto the ring. When it’s fully blistered, remove it from the heat and leave it to cool on a tray to catch the moisture it releases. It will continue to steam and soften as it cools, becoming perfectly tender for when we need it.

Whilst you’re at it

If you do go the whole hog and use embers for this recipe, why not bung as much into the pit as possible? Charred onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, beetroot (wrapped in foil), and beans of every sort are wonderful when exposed to the smoky goodness of ember cooking. Then store them to be used in other recipes to add a lovely smokiness whenever you like.

Courgette Baba Ghanoush Recipe
Side - Serves 3

• 1 Medium courgette / 3 baby courgettes

• 1 Lemon, juice and zest

• 1-2 Cloves of garlic, charred

• 30ml Olive oil

• 10 Green coriander seeds (if you don’t have any, use 4 dried and crush them first)

• 2 Good pinches of salt

• Serving suggestions: Drizzle with a dressing oil, smoked paprika, cracked black pepper, chilli oil, toasted nuts, or freshly picked oregano, tarragon or basil. Toast a nice chunk of sourdough and eat by hand.

Step 1.

For fire pit cooking, light your fire about 30 minutes before you plan to cook on it. This will give the fire a chance to burn the wood down to embers. From here you can encourage the heart of the fire to one side of the pit using smaller pieces of wood, then place a log on it to create a hot spot and future source of embers once yours have become ash.

When your embers are white and glowing, lay the courgette directly on them. You want a courgette that hasn’t matured enough to have fully developed seeds, but small ones are fine. Try not to over-handle the courgette as this will allow it to cool, resulting in less char and more steaming, softening the courgette to the point where it might fall apart before it’s fully charred. Rotate it every 3-4 minutes until the whole thing is charred and black, then remove it from the fire and lay it on a tray to catch the moisture it will release as it continues to finish cooking.

Whilst you’re at it, you might as well chuck a bunch more ingredients on the embers and stock up on the smoky goodness for future recipes. I took this as the perfect opportunity to char a few bulbs of garlic for all sorts of sauces, salsas, and garlic butter. See the list above for ideas.

Step 2.

Once the courgette is cool, rub the blacked skin from the outside by hand and put it in a blender. Zest your lemon and set aside for later before juicing it. Add the green coriander seeds, lemon juice, salt and garlic (if using raw garlic then make sure to mince it/crush it first). Blend but keep the mixture rough, then add the olive oil and either gently blend for another few seconds or stir by hand. Taste the seasoning and adjust as needed.

Step 3.

Finally, plate it up on a large sharing plate or in individual bowls to share. Drizzle with extra oil and chili oil, smoked paprika, cracked black pepper and a selection of fresh herbs. If you want more tang, feel free to crumble a feta style cheese on top. Finally, sprinkle the lemon zest on top and serve.