When asked to share a dish that readers could make at home, TLV’s chef and co-owner Berty Richter chose a fire roasted eggplant salad. He said he chose this particular dish, “Because it’s really, really good. It’s just really tasty.” He further explained, “Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables too cook with. I’ve eaten so much eggplant in my life I could do a whole year of different eggplant dishes. There are currently four on the menu at TLV, three as sides and one as a main. I love the smell of fire-roasted eggplant and the smell that fills the house. It’s so simple, but so authentic and so delicious. I take a lot of pride in how I make eggplant and I want as many people as possible to experience that and those flavors. I’ve turned so many people from not liking eggplant to eggplant fanatics.
Fire Roasted Eggplant Salad
Ingredients:
3 large eggplant
3 garlic cloves
1 diced tomato
½ cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup
¾ tsp urfa pepper (can sub for another smokey dark pepper)
½ cup olive
2 tps pomegranate molasses
1 tbs salt 1
¼ cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions:
-Roast eggplants over open flame, (or on stovetop), turning frequently, until skin gets charred and the eggplant “collapses.” This will be 15-20 minutes
-Place roasted eggplants over a perforated pan and let cool and drain for about 10 minutes.
-While eggplants cool, in a large bowl mix extra virgin olive oil , fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt, rough chopped garlic, medium diced fresh tomato, pomegranate molasses and Urfa Pepper (both can be found in a middle-eastern specialty store)
-Once eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and remove the stems.
-Cut the eggplants into large chunks and put them in with the tomato mixture. Gently mix everything without “breaking up” the eggplant too much
-Let the mixture sit overnight for all the flavors to absorb.
-Add rough chopped parsley and serve.
Enjoy!
