My friend Alice got me Ottolenghi's Plenty cookbook for my birthday (thank you, Al!!). I couldn't wait to test it out. I made the roasted eggplant last weekend and it's delicious. The soft roasted eggplant is tangy and almost meaty tasting from the bits of char, and the buttermilk yogurt sauce, za'atar, and pomegranate are such a great mix of flavors. The sweetness of the pomegranate is really nice. We had this as a main because we had a huge lunch, but I think it would also be great as a side dish to some grilled meat. Also, very pretty presentation!
The picture is also the cover of the book. So pretty.
Side dish for 4
Ingredients:
2 small eggplants
olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
seeds from one pomegranate
1 tsp za'atar
Sauce
9 tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, smashed to a paste
pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stem (don't eat it - it just looks good!). Score the flesh in a diamond pattern careful not to slice through the skin. Put the eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh thyme.
Roast for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is soft and the top is nice and brown.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Season with salt.
Take the eggplant out of the oven. Top each piece with the yogurt sauce, a sprinkle of za'atar, some pomegranate seeds, some more fresh thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil.
I served it with some saffron orzo and a salad with blood oranges and pomegranate molasses dressing. It's so tasty!
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