Smokyeggplantandmelonwraps Recipes

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP WITH YOGURT AND MINT

Steps:

• Make a fire on one side of a charcoal grill. When the fire is hot, prick the eggplants all over with a fork, and place them on the hot side of the grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, to char the skin all over. Move the eggplants to the cool side of the grill, put on the lid, making sure the vents are open, and roast the eggplants for 40 to 45 minutes, until they collapse when you press on them, turning once halfway through. Transfer the eggplants to a platter and cut in half lengthwise, allowing any liquid to run out.
• With a slotted spoon, scoop the insides of the eggplants into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, discarding the skin and any excess liquid. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the Sriracha, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pulse just five or six times to combine but not puree the ingredients. Taste for seasonings; it should be highly seasoned!
• Transfer to a shallow serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with extra mint and salt, and serve warm or at room temperature with pita triangles.

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP

Steps:

• Remove grate and prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat (coals should be covered with ash and glowing red with no black remaining). Place eggplants directly on coals and cook, turning occasionally, until skins are completely charred and flesh is collapsed, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. (Or, you can grill on the grate of a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 20-25 minutes.)
• Split eggplants lengthwise and scoop flesh from skin into a medium bowl (it's okay if bits of charred skin get in there too). Mash eggplant with a fork to break up, then mix in garlic, yogurt, chopped mint, red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt.
• To serve, drizzle dip with more oil and top with mint leaves.
• Do Ahead
• Dip can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

SMOKY EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Poke 2 or 3 holes in eggplants with a paring knife, then place on a baking sheet under hot broiler, about 2 inches from flame. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, allowing skins to blacken and char. Turn and cook on other side until eggplants have softened completely, about 4 minutes more. Set aside to cool, then remove and discard skins and roughly chop eggplant flesh.
• Meanwhile, put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stainless or enameled soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and beginning to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, cayenne and reserved eggplant and cook 1 minute more, then add broth and bring to a brisk simmer. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Check seasoning of broth and adjust salt.
• Purée soup in batches in blender. Strain through fine-meshed sieve and discard solid debris and seeds. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice to puréed soup and taste again, adding more as necessary. Soup should be well seasoned and rather lemony.
• Mix lemon zest with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil for garnish. Ladle soup into small bowls, topping each bowl with 1 teaspoon lemon oil, 1/2 teaspoon za'atar and some chopped parsley. May be served hot or cold.

SMOKY EGGPLANT DIP (EGGPLANT MOUTABAL)

Steps:

• Remove grate and prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat (coals should be covered with ash and glowing red with no black remaining). Place eggplants directly on coals and cook, turning occasionally, until skins are completely charred and flesh collapses, 15-20 minutes. (Alternatively, you can char over a gas burner on medium-high heat, turning occasionally with tongs, 12-15 minutes.) Transfer to a colander set over a medium bowl. Let cool 15 minutes.
• Remove skins from eggplants (it's okay if some bits of charred skin don't come off). Transfer flesh to a sieve set over a bowl and let drain 10 minutes.
• Transfer eggplant flesh to a food processor; add tahini, lemon juice, and 3 Tbsp. oil and process until creamy; season dip with salt.
• Transfer dip to a bowl and top with pomegranate seeds and black sesame seeds; drizzle with more oil.
• Do Ahead
• Dip can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

SCRAMBLED EGG WRAPS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, saute peppers in oil until tender. Add tomatoes; saute 1-2 minutes longer. , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, soy milk and salt. Reduce heat to medium; add egg mixture to skillet. Cook and stir until eggs are completely set. Spoon 2/3 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up.

SMOKY TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Partially peel the outside of the eggplant, leaving 1 1/2- to 2-inch strips of skin intact, creating alternating stripes of flesh and skin. Cut the eggplant into 2-inch cubes and add it to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the eggplant with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the eggplant to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. After 40 minutes the eggplant should be very tender and browned.
• In the meantime, heat a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot has softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add the red pepper and garlic and stir to combine. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat the vegetables in the spices. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the cooked eggplant to the tomato mixture and stir to combine, slightly mashing the eggplant into the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve with grilled sourdough.

SMOKY EGGPLANT CROQUETTES

Steps:

• Place the whole eggplants directly on the burner grids of the stovetop, and turn the flames to high. Let each eggplant start to blister, and steam, and char, turning each one a quarter turn every 3 or 4 minutes, until softened and hissing inside, the skins utterly blackened and cracked, and the flesh collapsing, 12 to 15 minutes. (You could also blister them under the broiler, set on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet a couple of inches from the heat and cook until charred all over.)
• Remove the eggplants to a bowl. Cover with a lid or overturned bowl, and let them rest until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Give this the time it takes; it will help with peeling them later and also lets them steep in their smoky juices. You can do this step ahead and let them cool in the refrigerator overnight as well, to be peeled the next day, which works beautifully.
• Remove the scorched, carbonized skin from the soft, cooked-through eggplant. Discard all the black, bitter charred bits.
• Strain the remaining eggplant, and save all the viscous smoky liquid that accumulates. I usually "rinse" the peeled eggplants in this strained liquid to remove any lingering flakes or chips of charred skin from the eggplant flesh. (Sometimes people are tempted to run the eggplant under the faucet for a second to remove the flecks, but using the liquid in the bowl is much better at retaining flavor.)
• Chop the flesh to a fine dice, and place in a bowl. (I generally never remove the seeds unless I have bought an intensely loaded eggplant, in which case I'll remove them if the seed sacs are pronounced and distracting.)
• Stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved smoky liquid, and the olive oil, then Microplane the garlic into the mixture. Season with salt, and stir well until the mixture is a bit creamy. Taste, and season to your palate by adding a few more drops of the smoky liquid or a few more of olive oil. I like mine rather smoky, rather salty, rather unctuous.
• Spread the eggplant mixture into an 8-inch square, about 1/2-inch thick, on a quarter sheet pan lined with a quarter-cut Silpat mat. Most people will not have these two things, so alternatively you can form a neat square or rectangle on a cookie sheet, or spoon the mixture into generally quenelled shapes onto a cookie sheet. Freeze overnight.
• Prepare the croquettes: Set up a standard breading procedure of three containers: flour, egg and water mixture, and the ground panko.
• Cut the frozen block of smoky eggplant into 2-inch squares, or batons or planks if you prefer. Refreeze for a bit if needed after cutting; they tend to defrost rather quickly. Bread each piece with care, dipping in flour, egg mixture then panko, leaving no bald spots, and refreeze the finished, breaded croquettes. (These can live in your freezer for months.)
• Add enough neutral oil to a deep-sided sauté pan to reach a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches, and heat over medium until shimmering, or when a thermometer reads 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry the frozen croquettes until golden on all sides and piping hot in the center, raising and lowering the heat under the oil accordingly. Adding frozen products to hot oil brings the temperature down, as does crowding, so it is up to the cook to control the temperature of the fry oil accordingly. Remove cooked croquettes with a slotted spoon, and drain on a baker's rack to maintain crispness (rather than a paper towel or plate, which will encourage steaming and sogginess).
• Sprinkle with a little salt while still very hot, and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

SMOKY EGGPLANT AND MELON WRAPS

Steps:

• Quarter eggplant lengthwise,a nd slice into 24 long-very thin strips using mandoline or sharp vegetable peeler.
• Whisk together oil, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and salt in 9-inch square baking dish. Add eggplant strips, and let marinate 10 minutes.
• Heat gas grill to high. Grill eggplant strips 2 minutes per side, or until strips are very tender and have pronounced grill marks.
• wrap 1 strip grilled eggplant around each melon chunk, and secure with toothpick.