Grilled Eggplant with Sesame and Herbs

This recipe is our adaptation of an eggplant dish taught to us by Irit Aharon, who runs a small eatery in Tel Aviv. We swapped her technique of charring whole eggplants on the burner of a gas stove for grilling halved ones over a charcoal or gas fire. We like serving the eggplant in the charred skins, but the cooked flesh also can be scooped into a bowl, mashed and mixed with the herb mixture, then finished with olive oil and lemon juice. Leave the stems on the eggplants when halving them. If you prefer to cook the eggplant indoors, heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Place the oil-brushed eggplant halves cut side up on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden brown, about 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 475°F and roast until soft throughout, another 30 to 40 minutes.