Eggplant “Caviar” with Tomato-Mint Salad

Recipe by: Jonathan King, Jim Stott, Kathy Gunst | from Stonewall Kitchen Appetizers

Cookstr

Course: Antipasto/Mezze, Appetizer

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Inexpensive

eggplant-ldquocaviarrdquo-with-tomato-mint-salad

Photo by: Joseph DeLeo

We love the silky texture of roasted and mashed eggplant, but we wanted to add another dimension to this underused vegetable. Here we roast the eggplant whole, peel and puree it, and then mix it with garlic, lemon juice, and yogurt. The puree is then surrounded by a very fresh-tasting salad made from red and yellow tomatoes, fresh mint, and scallions. Serve with Pita Crackers.

Yield: Makes about 3 cups; serves about 6

INGREDIENTS

For the eggplant “caviar":

One 1-pound eggplant
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plain yogurt
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the tomato-mint salad:

8 ounces red and yellow tomatoes, finely chopped
2 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh mint, plus leaves for garnish
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.

2. Make the “caviar”. Place the eggplant, whole, on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, flipping the eggplant from side to side once or twice, until it is very soft, collapsed looking, and the skin appears wrinkled. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, and peel Cut off both ends. Cut the peeled eggplant in half and put it back on the baking sheet. Use a large plate to press down on the eggplant to remove all the juices; discard the juice.

3. Place the drained eggplant in a food processor or blender and blend until almost pureed.

4. In a medium-large bowl, crush the garlic with the salt, using the back of a spoon to create a mash. Add the oil and pepper and stir well. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and then stir in the pureed eggplant. Taste for seasoning.

5. Make the tomato-mint salad: In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, scallions, oil, mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste for seasoning. The eggplant and the tomato salad can be covered and refrigerated for a day ahead of time.

6. Put the eggplant puree on a medium-large serving plate and surround the outside edges with the tomato salad. Garnish with the fresh mint leaves.