Grilled Eggplant with Chermoula Recipe
Ingredients
For the eggplant:
- 3 medium eggplants
- 2 tbs. fine sea salt plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the chermoula:
- 1 cup coriander leaves packed
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves packed
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup preserved lemon juice or 1/3 cup of regular lemon juice
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 2 tsp. harissa paste
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- good pinch saffron strands crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 F.
- Next, cut the eggplant lengthways into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cover with salt, layer in a strainer and leave to drain for 40 minutes.
- While the eggplant is draining, make the chermoula. Put all the ingredients with only 4 tablespoons of the olive oil into a food processor with a good pinch of salt. Blend to a thick paste and stir in enough of the remaining oil to make a sauce.
- Pat the eggplants dry and in batches, brush with oil and in a griddle pan, grill over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes each side, until golden. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining slices.
- When all slices have been grilled, lay on a platter and dollop with chermoula, a sprinkling of coriander and pinch of sea salt.
Notes
(Ali Alt is a food writer, blogger and partner to her husband, Jonathan, the founder of the Farmer J restaurants in London. Follow her blog at www.Baliboosta.com and on instragram @baliboosta.)
The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.