Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Lamb and Harissa
Photography Josh Griggs.
The silky flesh of the roasted eggplants gets topped with an aromatic lamb, currant and pomegranate molasses sauce. A dollop of cooling yoghurt swirled with fiery harissa is the crowning glory of this much-loved dish.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggplants, halved lengthways
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
FILLING
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, smoked paprika and chilli flakes
500 grams lamb mince
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup crushed, tinned tomatoes
1/3 cup currants
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
TO SERVE
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
1/3 cup purchased harissa
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Score the flesh of the eggplant in a criss-cross pattern, taking care not to cut through the skin. Place cut side up on a baking tray, brush oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender but not collapsing. Set aside.
FILLING: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, capsicum, garlic and all the spices. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring often. Add a splash of water if the pan is too dry. Increase the heat and add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon so there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, currants, soy and pomegranate molasses. Cook for 15 minutes, until well reduced. The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Spoon the lamb over the eggplant and bake for 20 minutes, until hot.
TO SERVE: Top each eggplant with a dollop of yoghurt and as much harissa as desired.
DRINKS MATCH: There is nothing like a slosh of softly spiced pinot noir with lamb. But the exotic spices, cherry and tamarillo layers, suede-like textures and dried herb notes in the Astrolabe Sleepers Vineyard Kekerengu Coast Pinot Noir 2019 ($50) are a step up. astrolabewines.co.nz
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.