Russian Eggplant Recipes

RUSSIAN EGGPLANT CAVIAR ("IKRA")

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Using a fork, poke holes in the eggplants at approximately 2-inch intervals* (see note below). Drizzle the eggplants and peppers with a few drops of olive oil and rub to coat evenly.
• Place on a baking sheet and roast until blistered, blackened, and totally collapsed, 45 to 60 minutes, turning the veg every 20 minutes or so. (The peppers may be done first, so pull them out and continue roasting the eggplants.)
• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside at room temp - or chill in the fridge - until they're cool enough to handle. (Covering the bowl with plastic traps the steam, making the veg easier to peel later.)
• Meanwhile, cut an X into the bottoms of the tomatoes, cutting about a quarter of the way through. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for a few minutes. Then drain and run tomatoes under cold water. Peel off the skins and discard. Finely dice and place in a large bowl.
• When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the roasted vegetables and discard, along with the tops. Split open the peppers and discard the ribs and seeds. Firmly squeeze the eggplant flesh with your hands and discard the excess liquid.
• Place the eggplants and peppers in a food processor and puree until smooth (alternatively, chop them very finely). Transfer the puree to the bowl with the tomatoes and add the onion, parsley, garlic, vinegar, sunflower oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
• Set aside for at least 15 minutes before serving. (Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 5 days).

RUSSIAN EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and water. Place the eggplant slices into the lemon water to soak while you bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Drain and rinse the eggplant slices, then place them into the boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes, or until barely tender. Drain.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Layer the eggplant slices, tomatoes and onion in the dish, sprinkling each layer with a little flour as you go. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread this over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle generously with paprika.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is nicely browned and there is a bubbly sauce.

RUSSIAN EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Steps:

• Bake eggplant, allow to cool, skin, & mince finely.
• Saute onion & pepper in 1 tb of oil until onion is browned.
• Add adding remaining oil.
• Add tomato paste, stir well & simmer for 5-mins.
• Add vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper & ceggplant.
• Stir well & cook slowly for 30-mins on a low-heat.
• If necessary you may add more oil to prevent mixture from sticking & thus burning.
• Remove from heat, cool to room temp, then refrigerate.
• Serve cold on thinly sliced black bread with butter & freshly chopped onion if desired.

RUSSIAN-INSPIRED EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant in the hot oil, stirring to prevent burning, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove eggplant from heat and let cool completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put tomatoes and eggs in a salad bowl and toss with Gruyere cheese and garlic.
• Transfer eggplant to the salad bowl and whisk in mayonnaise and salt.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour.

MARINATED EGGPLANT SLICES

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices in a colander and toss with kosher salt. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Rinse eggplant well under cold running water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Combine garlic and vinegar in a small bowl and let stand while you cook the eggplant.
• Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry eggplant slices in batches, adding and heating more oil between batches, until deep golden brown on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with any remaining slices. Transfer the slices to a large, paper towel-lined platter and let cool.
• Place the cooled eggplant slices on a serving dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with the vinegar-garlic mixture, cilantro, salt (if needed), and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.