This recipe is from Yottam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Nopi. Acquiring black garlic is difficult, but it has a smoky, carmelized, balsamic flavor that is very much worth it if you are a garlic lover.
Ingredients
- 5 medium eggplants (~1.5kg)
- 120 ml olive oil
- 150 g natural or greek yogurt
- large handful basil leaves, chopped coarsely
- 20 g pine nuts, toasted
- 1 T salt
- pepper to taste
For the Dressing
- 50 g peeled black garlic
- 1.5 t harissa
- 1 t pomegranate molasses
- 1.5 T lemon juice
- 1/2 t cocoa powder
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 430 F.
- Cut each aubergine into 1″ by 4″ slices, e.g. slices the size of a very fat thumb.
- Toss eggplant slices with 120 ml olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread eggplant onto parchment-lined baking sheet skin-side down, and roast for 40 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- To make dressing, place black garlic, harissa, lemon juice, cocoa, olive oil, and 1/4 t salt in a blender or food processor, and combine until smooth.
- Place the eggplant in a large mixing bowl, and mix with dressing by hand – you want to try to preserve the shape of the eggplant without turning it into mush.
- Leave for an hour if you have the time. Otherwise, plate by spreading yogurt onto a platter, arranging eggplant on top, and sprinkling with basil and pine nuts.
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