Ingredients
Japanese Eggplant 2 lbs, room temperature (3–4 depending on size)
Cornichon ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp, minced (or 10 cornichons, minced)
Shallots 1 cup + 1 Tbsp, minced
Parsley ¼ cup, minced
Cilantro ¼ cup, minced
Serrano 1 whole, minced (use ¼–1 whole depending on spice preference)
Flamingo Estate Olive Oil ¼ cup
Salt 2–3 tsp, depending on salinity preference
Black Pepper 1 pinch
Lime Juice 1 Tbsp
Garlic 1 clove, grated
Steps
- Bring your grill to a high temperature and apply room temperature eggplant directly on coal. They can be cooked on a stove top’s open flame but the flavor will differ.Flip and cook for 2 minutes on each of the 4 sides for a total of 8 minutes until they blister and char.Fan the charcoal during the charring process to generate more heat. To confirm they are ready, gently press down on the eggplant with the tip of your finger. If it begins to collapse or melt inwards, it is ready.
- Pull them off of the heat and let them sit in a container. If you feel they are not fully cooked at the center, cover the container with a lid or saran wrap for 5-10 minutes so they continue to steam.
- Check the eggplants for doneness by gently pressing down on them with the tip of your finger. If the eggplant begins to collapse or melt inward, it is ready.
- Slice the eggplant in half longways and scrape out the flesh with a spoon. It is okay if you scrape some of the skin along with the flesh. However, avoid scraping too much skin along with it as it will increase the bitterness. Discard eggplant skins.
- Chop the center flesh finely with a knife for about 2-3 minutes or until it is slightly chunky and smooth. Put the chunky eggplant into a colander and let it drain for 15 minutes. You will end up with 1¼ lbs of eggplant
- Mince cornichon, shallots, parsley, cilantro, and serrano. Then weigh out necessary amounts for the recipe
- Put the weighed minced ingredients into a bowl along with the eggplant. Add olive oil, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Then, mix togethe
- TO PLATE
- Spread eggplant salad on the base of the plate and top with olive oil
- You can eat this with bread or alongside grilled meats or fish.
Cook a meal for someone you love
