The original recipe came from the New York Times by Ottolenghi and adapted by Sam Sifton.. Starting with Ottolenghi’s ‘Baba Ghanouj, Deconstructed,’ I finished with a new version, less about baba ghanouj and more about the layering of flavours! The original grills the eggplant and I simply baked the eggplant covered until it was soft inside. I kept the skins, doubled the amount of tomatoes and marinated them in lemon juice, za’atar spice mix, lots of fresh garlic and a bit of salt. The finishing touch is a dribble of homemade pomegranate molasses over the top. The layers of flavours harmonise with one another perfectly. Thank you Yotam Ottolenghi!
I like to make my own pomegranate molasses by buying fresh pomegranate juice (not from concentrate or with anything added) by cooking it down with raw honey rather than refined sugar. If stored in a sterilised jar, it will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.
Middle Eastern Spiced Eggplant With Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 medium sized eggplants, washed top stems trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
4 medium ripe organic tomatoes, chopped finely
juice of 1 lemon
3-6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp za’atar spice mix (*see recipe below)
pinch of Himalayan pink salt
3 tbs Lebanese or Israeli tahini
2 tbs pomegranate molasses
handful of fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)
*Za’atar (Spice & Herb Bible 3rd Edition by Ian Hemphill + Kate Hemphill)
Ingredients
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tsp dried parsley leaves
1 tsp ground sumac
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 Himalayan fine pink salt
Method
Preheat oven to 200 c.
Prepare the eggplants and place them cut side down in a wide round dutch oven lined with baking paper. Cover and bake for about 40-45 minutes. When done, a fork goes through the skin and flesh with ease.
Make the za’atar spice mix by adding all the ingredients in a small jar. While the eggplants bake, squeeze a lemon and add the za’atar spice mix, crushed garlic and salt. Put aside.
Finely chop 4 tomatoes, removing the cores if necessary. Add the lemon juice and spices to the tomatoes and allow to marinate while the eggplants finish cooking.
Place the eggplants halves, flesh up in a large pie dish, narrow sections facing outwards. Press down on the flesh to spread the eggplants out. Dribble the tahini evenly over the eggplant flesh. Spoon the tomatoes and all the juice over the eggplants. Dribble pomegranate molasses over the entire surface. Place fresh leaves of parsley over the dish. Serve immediately. It is especially delicious over baked slices of potato..