Long Roasted Eggplant With Garlic Labne And Tiny Chile Croutons Recipes

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Put the eggplant pieces in a large colander and sprinkle all over with the 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Set in the sink to drain for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic, and push to the side of the cutting board. Chop the parsley, then draw the shallots and garlic in with the herbs and chop them together, until finely chopped. Stir the aromatics and walnut oil together in a serving bowl.
• Toss the purged eggplant with the olive oil and pepper. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and brush or drizzle with olive oil. Spread the eggplant out on the pan and return to the oven. Roast until the eggplant is tender yet firm and rich brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss with garlic and herbs. Serve right away or at room temperature.

LONG-ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC, LABNE, AND TINY CHILE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Using a small paring knife, make a few ½-inch slits into the cut side of each eggplant. (You can do this lengthwise, crosswise, or even diagonally. Knock yourself out with your decorative prowess!)
• Place the eggplant cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with ½ cup olive oil, distributing as evenly as possible. Season with salt and pepper and turn over so that the eggplant is cut side down.
• Place in the oven and roast, without moving or disturbing, until eggplant is completely tender, cooked through, and golden brown on the bottom (since the skin is already so dark, it can be hard to tell, but the skin will look shriveled and, when poked, the whole thing should feel tender, on the verge of collapse; you can also use a spatula to lift up the eggplant to check the underside for color), 40 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the garlic and chile are frizzled and fragrant (but not yet browned), 1 or 2 minutes. Add the bread and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Combine the labne, preserved lemon, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if you like. Smear it onto the bottom of a large serving platter or in a shallow bowl.
• Once the eggplant is good and ready to go, use a fish spatula (or regular spatula) to lift up each eggplant half in one fell swoop, preserving its lovely golden underside. Place the eggplant, cut side up, on top of the seasoned labne. Scatter with the crispy croutons and herbs before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Eggplant can be roasted a few hours ahead, then kept loosely covered at room temperature (no need to reheat- it's excellent at room temperature). The labne can be seasoned a week ahead, covered tightly, and refrigerated. The croutons can be made 2 days ahead, kept covered tightly at room temperature.

ROASTED GARLIC AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Peel away any excess paper from the bulb of garlic, then cut the top off to expose the cloves. Rub exposed cloves with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil, and set onto the prepared baking sheet. Poke the eggplant all over with a fork; place onto baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until the garlic has turned golden brown and the eggplant is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Peel eggplant and chop into large chunks; peel or squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin, and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, then stir in reserved eggplant, roasted garlic, tomato puree, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Once cooked, carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return soup to the stove in a clean saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper; cook over medium-low heat until hot.

PAN-ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH PEANUT-CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare two heavy skillets: One large skillet and one medium skillet that fits inside the large one. Wrap the medium skillet in foil.
• Using a vegetable peeler, peel wide strips of skin off the eggplants lengthwise, so that they are striped. Cut them crosswise into 3/4-inch thick rounds, and sprinkle them with about 1 teaspoon salt.
• Make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the peanuts, cumin, garlic, 2 tablespoons chile paste, a pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Taste and adjust the seasonings with chile paste and salt.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees and place a large baking sheet in it to warm.
• In the large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat until just shimmering. Working in batches, add a single layer of eggplant slices and place the medium skillet on top to press the eggplant flat. Cook, adjusting the heat so you hear the sound of sizzling (not popping, which would indicate burning). Check the color after 3 minutes. When nicely browned all over, about 5 minutes, flip the rounds and place the medium skillet on top again. Cook the other side until lightly browned, about 4 minutes, and transfer to the hot sheet pan in the oven. Add more olive oil to the pan and repeat with remaining eggplant.
• When all the eggplant slices are cooked, lightly wipe out the large skillet and reheat over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to heat through and add ginger. Let sizzle, stirring, until just beginning to brown, then scrape the cooked ginger and oil into the peanut sauce. Stir and taste again.
• To serve, arrange the eggplant slices on a platter. Use a spoon to drizzle sauce over the top (you might not use all the sauce). Scatter scallions and cilantro on top.

HONEY-ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH CHILES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss eggplants with chiles, honey, and oil to coat.
• Roast eggplants (skin sides up) and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet until eggplant is golden, about 20 minutes (if using cubes of eggplant, stir once every 5 to 7 minutes). Flip, and roast until eggplant softens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.