Burnt eggplant with feta and harissa

TIME1 hour MAKES2 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

An easy and delicious eggplant dish, from Ottolenghi.

INGREDIENTS

  • 15ml olive oil
  • 2 eggplants (about 500g)1
  • Salt

Base

  • 130g feta
  • 50ml whole milk

Topping

  • 45ml olive oil
  • 30g harissa
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 15g pine nuts (toasted)

STEPS

  1. Rub a tablespoon of olive oil over the eggplants. Heat a cast iron pan over high heat, and add the eggplants. Allow each side to char fully before turning, approximately 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can char over a gas flame.

  2. Once the eggplants have cooled, carefully peel away the burnt skin, exposing the flesh. Leaving the stems intact, carefully pierce the flesh with a sharp knife just below the stem, and cut vertically downwards. Open up the eggplants so that they are flat, and season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Leave to rest on a rack, so that moisture can drip off.

  3. Mash the feta and milk in a small bowl with a fork until smooth. Spread it out on a plate, and place the eggplants on top.

  4. Mix the harissa with 45ml of olive oil, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Using a pastry brush, brush the harissa sauce on top of the eggplants, before drizzling the rest over the dish. Top with toasted pine nuts, and serve.

NOTES

  1. Smaller Italian eggplants will be fast to char. ↩︎

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