Name: Fried eggplant with medieval salš
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: vegetable oil, For shallow-frying; 700 gm eggplant (about 2 eggplant), peeled and sliced 1cm thick; plain flour, seasoned, For dusting; Bastourma spice mix; 1½ tsp fenugreek; 1½ tsp sweet paprika; ¼ tsp cumin seeds; ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper (see note); ¼ tsp ground allspice; of garlic powder, Pinch; Salš; 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup); ½ cup each mint, coriander and flat-leaf parsley (firmly packed); 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 tsp honey; ¾ tsp caraway seeds, finely ground; 125 ml lime juice (½ cup)

Fried eggplant with medieval salš

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for fried eggplant with medieval salš

Serves 8

Prep

25M

Cook

15M

Total

40M

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“Achieving the dark colour on the eggplant is key to this simple dish, as it gives almost a burnt-caramel effect. It’s the way Mum used to fry eggplant. I’ve paired it with a medieval salš – an Arabian salsa based on a 13th-century recipe from Baghdad.” Joseph Abboud, Rumi

Ingredients

vegetable oil, For shallow-frying

700 gm eggplant (about 2 eggplant), peeled and sliced 1cm thick

plain flour, seasoned, For dusting

Bastourma spice mix

1½ tsp fenugreek

1½ tsp sweet paprika

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp Aleppo pepper (see note)

¼ tsp ground allspice

of garlic powder, Pinch

Salš

125 ml extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)

½ cup each mint, coriander and flat-leaf parsley (firmly packed)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tsp honey

¾ tsp caraway seeds, finely ground

125 ml lime juice (½ cup)

Method

Main

1.For bastourma spice mix, process all ingredients with ¼ tsp sea salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper in a spice grinder or pound in a mortar and pestle until finely ground, then set aside.

2.For salŝ, process oil, herbs, garlic, honey and caraway in a blender until very fine and smooth (1-2 minutes), then add lime juice, process until bright green and smooth (1 minute) and season to taste.

3.Heat oil in a large deep-sided frying pan to 180C. Dust eggplant lightly in seasoned flour, then fry in batches until golden and tender (3-4 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit), drain on absorbent paper and season with bastourma spice mix. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with salŝ and serve warm.

Note Aleppo pepper, named for the Syrian city, is grown in Syria and Turkey, then dried and crushed. It’s available from select Middle Eastern grocers. If it’s unavailable, substitute dried chilli flakes.

This recipe is from the February 2012 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Drink Suggestion: 2011 Yering Station Village Fumé Blanc.
Notes

Joseph Abboud

Styling by Alice Storey

Styling by Vanessa Austin

Ingredients

Method

Main

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