While this dish isn’t a personal favorite — DISCLAIMER: my husband absolutely hates eggplant (yes, I've tried to make it any number of ways, and no, none have worked) it is delightful and tasty. As a result, this dish is rarely-tasted and a real treat in our house.
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi's classic, Plenty. You'll notice that I've stopped using links from Amazon and other conglomerates; I am going to be posting links to real bookstores for recipe books, and to other smaller businesses where I can. Anyway, back to the beautiful marriage that is burnt eggplant and tahini.
To prepare for this recipe, you need to burn the eggplant. Put the eggplant directly on a moderate flame and roast for 12-15 minutes, turning frequently with tongs, until the flesh is soft and smoky and the skin is burnt all over. Ottolenghi suggests you keep an eye on it the whole time so it doesn't catch fire.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (burned and cool enough to handle)
1/3 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup of water
2 tsp. pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
salt and black pepper
3 mini cucumbers (optional)
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
seeds from 1/2 a large pomegranate
olive oil, to finish -- get the good stuff (click for my favorite olive oil)
FIRST: After you've burnt the eggplant and it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a colander, avoiding the blackened skin. leave to drain for at least 30 minutes.
THEN: Chop the flesh roughly and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl. Add tahini, water, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Mix well with a whisk and add more salt and pepper as desired; the salad should have a robust flavor, so add more lemon juice, garlic, and pomegranate molasses as necessary.
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: If you want to add cucumber and tomatoes, cut the cucumbers lengthways in half and then each lengthways in two. Cut each quarter into 3/8-inch long pieces. Halve the tomatoes. Stir them into the mix.
FINALLY: Spread over a shallow dish, scatter the pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with olive oil.
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