Romanian eggplant salad (spread) recipe

This is a very popular recipe in Romania, especially in the summer and fall. It is served as an appetizer, spread on slices of bread. Goes very well with fresh tomatoes.


INGREDIENTS
3 large eggplants
1 1/2 cup of home made mayonnaise ( see recipe on my site)
1 small onion fine chopped
1 clove garlic fine crushed
salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Pierce the eggplants with a fork (to avoid explosion), then roast them on a barbecue fire for about 15-30 minutes (until they become soft and liquid is coming out when checking the crust).
Let the eggplants cool down until they can be handled, then peel off the burned skin.Place the eggplants on a wooden platter and let them drain their juice for 10 -15 minutes, tet cool completely.


Smash the eggplants with a wooden knife until they become a paste (don't use a blender or food processor, because they will break the eggplant seeds and make the salad bitter).


Place the paste into a bowl and mix with the home made mayonnaise ( mayonnaise from jar can be used but its giving a sour taste to the mixture) , add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste. The eggplant spread should be put in the refrigerator for 30 min and serve on slices of bread.


It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.