Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise. Rub the cut-ends with some olive oil and place, cut-side-down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Cook in oven for 40-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare garlic confit by adding 2 cups olive oil to a small pot with the garlic cloves and thyme. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until starting to turn golden. Reserve the oil from this process for later in this recipe (you can also use it in other recipes later!).

When the eggplants are done, remove from oven and turn them over, remove the burnt layer, and scoop out all of the remaining flesh with a spoon (you can discard the skin), placing it into a bowl.

To the eggplant, add tahini, the zest and juice from a lemon, cumin, paprika, salt/pepper, and however much garlic you prefer (can range from a few cloves to all of them, depending on how garlicky you prefer it).

Use either an immersion blender (which is what we used) or a food processor to blend until smooth, adding a few spoonfuls of the garlic oil to even the consistency.

Plate in a bowl, top with extra olive oil, a pinch of paprika, and mint. You can serve with pita bread and/or fresh vegetables for dipping.