Baba ghanouj, minus the mashing

A starter that looks like you have staff. It comes together in an hour, most of which is the eggplant cooling, and it wants warm flatbread alongside for mopping.

1. Char the eggplants whole. Sit each one directly over a medium gas flame and cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning with tongs, until the skin is black all over and the inside has collapsed to something soft and smoky. A hot grill does the same job if summer is cooperating.
2. Lift them onto a rack to cool and drain, 15 to 20 minutes. When you can bear to handle them, peel away the blackened skin but leave the stalk on for drama, and lay each eggplant on a big plate. Coax it open into a fan with your fingers, sprinkle with salt and spoon a tablespoon of tahini over each.
3. Stir the grated tomato together with the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Spoon it over the eggplants and their tahini, leaving some of the smoky flesh showing through, then scatter with the oregano and a final flourish of salt.

Serve it at room temperature, unhurried, the way anything this smoky deserves.

Charring is the bottleneck, since only so many eggplants fit over the burners at once. Take it outside, where a hot grill blackens eight to twelve in one go, or work them under the broiler in batches until the skins are properly ruined. Char and cool them ahead, then fan and dress just before serving so the smoke stays the star.