Eggplant with Crispy Garlic, Yogurt + Herbs
I’ve been in a such an eggplant mood these days. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve made this salad, an even easier version of eggplant Parmesan (that I ate before I had time to take a photograph), and now, this. But when eggplant’s only $1 apiece, I’m going to keep on buying it, even though it’s still a little early in the season.
Which might be weird in some parts of the world, but in Texas, right now it feels like summer even though it’s not, and I’m craving summery things like this. I switched to iced coffee awhile back.
This is one of those recipes that Ottolenghi does so well — a simple take on a Middle Eastern dish that’s easy to make, doesn’t take forever to put together, and is completely satisfying, because you’ve got the heat of chiles and garlic (plus the crunch), the cool yogurt, the bright herbs, and the roasted eggplant underneath it all. I’m planning to make this all summer, so if you come to my house, you’ll probably get some of this.
Roasted Eggplant with Crispy Garlic, Yogurt and Herbs
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi
- 2 large eggplant
- ½ cup olive oil
- sea salt and pepper
- 5 large garlic cloves
- 2 serrano chiles
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- juice of 1 lemon
- a small handful fresh tarragon
- a small handful fresh mint
- a small handful fresh dill
- about 10 fresh basil leaves
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch pieces and put on the baking sheets. Brush the olive oil on both sides of all of the eggplant, then sprinkle them with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides, turning once.
Save time: Roast your eggplant in advance and keep it in the fridge. Just make sure you let it come to room temperature before serving.
- While the eggplant’s roasting, thinly slice the garlic and the serrano chiles and put them in a small saucepan with the canola oil. Turn the heat to low and let this cook until the garlic turns light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Note: Watch this carefully and make sure you don’t try to cook this too quickly or the garlic will burn. Remove the garlic and chile. Reserve the oil, and keep it in the fridge, for another use.
- Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Add as much water as you need to thin it out.
- Finely chop the herbs.
- To serve, lay the eggplant on a serving platter, and add the yogurt, fried garlic and chile, and herbs.
