Make This Prune Classic: Smokey Eggplant

SMOKEY EGGPLANT, PARSLEY-SESAME FLATBREAD, GRILLED LEMONS Feeds 4-5

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds standard purple-black eggplant 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, microplaned 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

For the rest of the dish:

Flatbread Lemons

EVOO

Directions

1. Set the eggplants directly on the burners of the stove and turn the flames to high. Allow the eggplants to char on all sides, turning intermittently with the kitchen tongs, taking care not to puncture or split them when turning. They will do that on their own when they are cooked. The eggplants will smoke and spark and give off terrific aroma. Char eggplants over open flame for approximately 14 minutes, or until cooked through. When the skin splits and the eggplants start to collapse, place in a large stainless steel bowl and cover tightly with a plastic film.

2. Let sit for 15 minutes to steam in their own blackened jackets, then uncover and let cool enough so you can handle them.

3. On a cutting board, with a sharp knife, split the eggplants in half from the stem to the base. Do not discard the bowl in which the eggplants steamed. With a large spoon, scoop out all the flesh and put it in a clean bowl, taking care not to carry along any of the bitter, charred black skin. Discard all the blackened skin.

4. In the bottom of the bowl in which the charred eggplants steamed there will be a rich and slightly viscous dark brown liquid with many flakes and bits of burnt and blackened eggplant skin swimming in it. Through a fine-mesh strainer, pour all of that delicious smokey liquid over the eggplant flesh, keeping all the blackened bits out.Reprinted with permission from Prune.