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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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I found this gem in Alice Water's Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook, and then found a way to cheat to make it even easier - and a bit lower in fat. I'll tell you both ways to prepare it. It is an easy, flavorful, completely delicious vegetarian appetizer. Read more . I especially like to include it in a meze spread when sharing a meal with friends from Southern Europe. I also often make it up along with other salads and leave it in my fridge for part of an easy and delicious lunch. Ingredients:
1 large globe eggplant |
salt and pepper |
olive oil |
2 shallots |
balsamic or red wine vinegar (i always use organic balsamic vinegar, which i can tolerate despite a sulfite allergy) |
1 clove garlic |
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro (i tend to prefer parsley) |
grilled bread for serving |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. ALICE'S VERSION: Peel the eggplant and cut into 1-inch cubes. Put the eggplant in a baking dish, season liberally with salt and pepper, and toss with a generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons water, cover tightly, and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until very soft.
3. MY EASY VERSION: Wash and dry the eggplant, pierce it deeply a number of times through the skin with a fork, rub olive oil on the outside of it, and put it in a baking dish in the oven. Bake until very soft (about the same amount of time, I think). Remove from oven and let it cool until you can handle it without burning yourself. When you can handle it, cut the eggplant in half, scoop out the inside portion (leaving the skin behind) and mash it thoroughly with a fork.
4. While the eggplant is baking, peel and dice the shallots very fine. Let them macerate for about 10 minutes in about 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Peel and mash the garlic (you can use a garlic press if you like) and add it to the shallots and vinegar.
5. When the eggplant is done, add it to the shallot and garlic mixture, mashing with a fork, and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Stir in the chopped parsley or cilantro (or a combination of both) and adjust the seasoning. Add additional olive oil and vinegar to taste. Serve on grilled bread.
7. NOTE: Alice's version is undoubtedly the more flavorful one, but if you're pressed for time, baking the eggplant whole as I've described above is a suitable alternative.
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