LATE summer into autumn is the season of hob-cleaning in this house. At least once a week—sometimes three times—I place aubergines directly on the hob, right in the heart of the flames, turning them every few minutes with tongs, until their skins are charred and the flesh is soft as custard. Cutting them open to drain in a colander, then scooping out the insides and pureéing them into a smoky baba ganoush, produces one of the essential dishes of summer.
You may wonder why I
