ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH BLACK GARLIC, PINE NUTS AND BASIL

SHARED BY nopi

Prep Time: 15 - 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

  • 5 medium eggplants, trimmed (3 pounds)

  • ½ cup olive oil, plus extra to serve

  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt

  • 1/3 ounce basil leaves

  • ¾ ounce pine nuts, toasted

  • coarse sea salt and black pepper
     

Black garlic dressing

  • 1 ¾ ounces peeled black garlic cloves  

  • 1 ½ teaspoons rose harissa (or regular harissa)

  • 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

  • 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

  • ¼ teaspoon urfa chile flakes (or a pinch of regular dried chile flakes)

  • ½ teaspoon cocoa powder

  • 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C (390°F/220°C convection).

Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, and then again widthwise. Cut each section into wedges about 1 1/4inches wide and 4 inches long, and place in a large mixing bowl along with the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, then spread the eggplants out on two parchment-lined baking sheets—you don’t want them to be overcrowded—skin-side down. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, until well cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Place all the ingredients for the dressing in the small bowl of a food processor, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Blitz for about 2 minutes, until a very smooth paste is formed.

Place the eggplant in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic dressing and use your hands to stir very gently: you want the eggplant to be coated without disintegrating completely. Leave for an hour or so, if there is time to spare. Spread the yogurt out on a platter or individual plates and arrange the eggplant wedges on top. Sprinkle over the basil leaves—tearing the large ones as you go—and the pine nuts. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.