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Grilled Eggplant with Sesame and Herbs
This recipe is our adaptation of an eggplant dish taught to us by Irit Aharon, who runs a small eatery in Tel Aviv. We swapped her technique of charring whole eggplants on the burner of a gas stove for grilling halved ones over a charcoal or gas fire. We like serving the eggplant in the charred skins, but the cooked flesh also can be scooped into a bowl, mashed and mixed with the herb mixture, then finished with olive oil and lemon juice. Leave the stems on the eggplants when halving them. If you prefer to cook the eggplant indoors, heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat. Place the oil-brushed eggplant halves cut side up on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden brown, about 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 475°F and roast until soft throughout, another 30 to 40 minutes.
6
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to score the eggplant. It allows the garlic flavor to penetrate.
1 hour
Ingredients
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2
medium eggplants (1 to 1½ pounds each), halved lengthwise
-
½
cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra to serve
Directions
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01Prepare a grill for indirect, high-heat cooking. For a charcoal grill, spread a large chimney of hot coals evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, set half of the burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate. Using a paring knife, carefully score the flesh of each eggplant half in a crosshatch pattern, spacing the cuts about ¾ inch apart. Be careful not to cut through the skin. Use ¼ cup of the oil to brush the eggplant flesh evenly, then season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup oil and the garlic.
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This turned out lovely using the broiler + oven alternative method given in the video. The eggplant developed a lovely roasted flavor and a nicely browned and crispy crust. I did roast on a baking rack set in a half sheet pan (lined with parchment for faster cleanup) and I liked that the skin was nice and crispy and not sitting in the oil/moisture that had run off.