Aubergine Caviar

This simple recipe comes from Gruissan, the captivating circular village surround by saltwater lagoons on the coast by Narbonne. It must have originally come into the repertoire when Spain was ruled by the Moors. I have eaten many forms of this dish in Syria and in Iran and there is nothing to beat its sweet smokiness. It does not look or taste much like caviar, but the aubergines do often have little black seeds that may give a clue to the name.