Roasted and mashed with olive oil and lemon juice is a common and delicious way of eating eggplants, often described as “poor man’s caviar.” Use firm eggplants with a shiny black skin.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Broil or roast the eggplants (see page 63). Peel, letting the pieces fall into a colander with tiny holes, then chop with a pointed knife and mash to a puree with a fork or a wooden spoon, so that the juices escape through the holes of the colander.
Step 2
Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and beat in the oil and lemon juice and some salt.
Variations
Step 3
For a Syrian flavor, mix in 2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate or molasses (see page 45) instead of lemon juice, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Step 4
For a spicy Moroccan version, add 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon harissa (see page 464) or a pinch of cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.
Step 5
For an eggplant salad, add 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 chopped tomatoes, 4 chopped scallions, and 1/2–1 finely chopped (and seeded) chili pepper.
