Roasted Eggplant With Black Garlic, Pine Nuts, And Basil
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Servings:
Ingredients
  • 5 medium eggplants, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/3 ounce basil leaves
  • 3/4 ounce pine nuts, toasted
  • coarse sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 3/4 ounce peeled blacked garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon rose harissa (or regular harissa)
  • 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • 2 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon urfa chile flakes (or a pinch of regular dried chile flakes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 3 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (390 degrees F convection).
  2. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, and then again widthwise. Cut each section into wedges about 1 1/4 inches wide and 4 inches long, and place in a large mixing bowl along with the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then spread the eggplants out on two parchment-lined baking sheets — you don’t want them to be overcrowded — skin-side down. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, until well cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
  3. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in the small bowl of a food processor, along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Blitz for about 2 minutes, until a very smooth paste is formed.
  4. Place the eggplant in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic dressing and use your hands to stir very gently: you want the eggplant to be coated without disintegrating completely. Leave for an hour or so, if there is time to spare. Spread the yogurt out on a platter or individual plates and arrange the eggplant wedges on top. Sprinkle over the basil leaves — tearing the large ones as you go — and the pine nuts. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.