The eggplant is an abundant and versatile summer vegetable. Its spongy white flesh, slightly bitter when raw, assumes when cooked a creamy vegetal sweetness that marries well with a host of herbs, spices and flavorings.
Global recipes abound, from Africa to Russia, from the Levant through Turkey, Greece, Italy and France. The most common manifestation is a spiced, chilled purée (baba ganoush or Provençal caviar d’aubergines), a smooth or rough mash usually served chilled as an appetizer but way more useful. Charring the main ingredient, by roasting or grilling, adds a pleasing smokiness. That’s where we begin.
To accent the Levantine traditions, as well as to elaborate its inherent sweetness, here the eggplant is roasted and glazed with a bit of sweet-tart pomegranate molasses, and further spiced with cumin, sumac and garlic before being puréed with more of the molasses-and-spice blend plus lemon juice and olive oil.
Chilled, the result is labeled here a purée but, in this summer, serves as a cooling dip for crudités crostini, or as a spread for pitas, naan or other rustic breads. I stumbled on an early and perfectly ripe heirloom tomato at Vera’s Marketplace in Philipstown and constructed a more-than-satisfying sandwich of whole-grain toast with the spread purée topped with tomato slices, arugula and a schmear of mayonnaise.
Fun fact: Did you know that the French word for pomegranate is pomme-grenade — “grenade” from the Old French grenate, meaning “seedy.” Following that thread, pomme-grenade became the source of our English word grenade, describing a hand-thrown weapon that (surprise!) resembles a fruit that explodes into juicy red seeds when opened.
Eggplant “Pomme-Grenade” Purée
Makes 1½ to 2 cups
- 1½ to 2 pounds purple eggplant
- Olive oil
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- Juice of 1½ lemons
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac berries
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl or measuring cup, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon sumac and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and reserve. Split the eggplant lengthwise. Diagonally crosshatch the cut side about ¼-inch deep and lay face down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the skin side with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. (Alternately, you could accomplish this on the grill and save yourself from a hot kitchen.)
2. At the 20-minute mark, remove the pan from the oven and flip the halves face side up. Brush with the reserved pomegranate glaze and return to the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes and brushing with additional glaze. (You want a bit of a char.) Poke the flesh with a fork to check for doneness.
3. Remove pan from the oven and set aside. Allow the eggplant time to cool enough to remove the skins. Chop the roasted flesh into manageable chunks and pulse chop it in a food processor to your desired consistency.
4. In a small bowl, fold in and mix the remaining ingredients, plus up to ¼ cup of olive oil. Correct seasoning and cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios and mint, and serve with a delivery device of your choice.
