Phil's Babaghanoush

Last Sunday evening I went to a cocktail party at Phil and Myriam's on the Upper West Side.  Myriam is a superb cook and has served us many fantastic dinners.  But Phil sometimes surprises with one of his specialties which often involve eggplant.  That may be an unusual signature ingredient but Phil is an unusual guy. His babaghanoush was on the dining room table and I had many, many scoops of it with pita triangles.  Babaghanoush is one of my favorite foods and Phil's version is delicious.  He responded to my pleas and just emailed the recipe. Here it is:

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), stem ends trimmed

4 tbl. olive oil (1/4 cup)

2 tbl. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

2-3 tbl. mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Broil, skin side up. Turn and continue to broil briefly until cut side is browned.

2. Remove soft interior. Chop, blend, or beat with remaining ingredients.  Serve chilled with   warm pita. 

Note: For large parties Phil makes multiple recipes and cuts back a bit on the total amount of olive oil, mayonaise and garlic.