Marinated Eggplant Salad with Tahini Sauce
What’s a gal to do during Snowzilla? Blizzard2016…? Snowmageddon2…? Well, play around with a new cookbook, “Balaboosta, Bold Mediterranean Recipes” by Einat Admony. Just back from New York City, an absolute eating adventure. The choices. The pressure! But in the abounding intensity of Manhattan eating options, I found a gem in SoHo: Combina. Small plates…Spanish Israeli fusion…pure delight. Merguez slider, fried halloumi, harissa honey drumsticks, clams in heavensauce (quite honestly, I can’t remember what these little clams were swimming in….but it tasted like heaven). It was the marinated eggplant dish that stood out though. Tangy. Garlicy. Unassuming in presentation; bold in execution. Perfect. You can imagine my delight when our waitress, Emmy, handed me a cookbook when I sweetly asked, “The chef wouldn’t mind sharing this recipe, right? RIGHT!??” The tahini sauce– a perfect finishing on this salad.
Dare I tell you the story of the 4-wheel adventure, well into Winter Storm Jonas, to TWO different grocery stores to find the last three eggplants? Nah, I’ll leave that for another time…
- 3 large eggplants
- Kosher salt
- Canola oil for frying
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 large lemon)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Prepare.
- Trim the end off the eggplants and slice into 1-inch thick rounds. Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander to drain for one hour. This will drain excess water and take away any bitterness from the eggplant. After one hour, pat the slices dry with a paper towel.
- Fry.
- Heat 1 inch of canola oil in a large skillet (temperature should be around 375 degrees). Fry the eggplant until golden brown (about 6-7 minutes). Drain the eggplant on paper towels.
- Marinate.
- Whisk the vinegar, garlic, dill, sugar and pepper flakes in a large glass bowl. Slice the fried eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Add the eggplant to the vinegar mixture and coat evenly. Place the salad in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or (preferably) overnight.
- Tahini sauce.
- Combine the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor. Puree the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- The flavors continue to marry. Enjoy this salad for up to a week!
