Stuffed eggplant with almonds, parsley, and preserved lemons

I will admit to being a fan of eggplant; grilled and broiled are my favourites. The combination of soft, charred flesh and nutty-tart stuffing is delicious.

Moorish cuisine combines Spanish cooking techniques with North African spices and ingredients. The Muslim invaders left their mark on Spanish culture, architecture (Alhambra), dance (Flamenco) and cuisine. This book combines creative recipes from across the Mediterranean that use these spices and ingredients to perfection.

These charred and smoky eggplants are stuffed with the perfect blend of nutty almonds, tart preserved lemons, and spices and then baked again to finish the dish. It makes for an amazing appetizer, served in foil with bread or pita bread. I will admit, this is a new flavour profile, and most folks who tried it were not the biggest of fans. However, I thought that the flavour was unique and creative.

This is a fantastic cookbook. It features a collection of outstanding recipes from the Moorish influence in Spanish cooking. Each recipe I have tried is spectacular, full of wonderful flavours and unique combinations of ingredients like this one. I love this cookbook and highly recommend it to those looking for unusual dishes. I have Ben Tishs' fabulous restaurant, Norma, in London, on my bucket list, and I cannot wait to start travelling again!

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup almonds, lightly toasted and ground

A handful parsley

15 green olives, pitted

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons EVOO

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 firm small eggplants, or 12 baby eggplant

Whipped yoghurt (avoid the vegan version)

Bread or naan

Heat the oven to 375° F.

Add the olive oil to a pan and sauté the garlic on medium heat until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the fenugreek seeds and fry for an additional 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, and sauté until lightly golden, about one additional minute. Cool.

Add the sautéed mix with the other ingredients, except eggplants, yoghurt and bread, to a small blender and purée into a fine paste. The paste should be very thick; add water as needed. Set aside.

Prepare the eggplants by poking some holes in them with a fork. Char over direct heat until the skins are burnt and the eggplants are soft. You can do this on a grill or over the stove using metal tongs or skewers.

Cut a slit in the eggplants about 2/3 the way into the flesh, not all the way through. Stuff as much of the paste into the slit, evenly distributing the paste between all eggplants. Wrap each eggplant individually (or in pairs if very small) in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes till the eggplants are soft and mushy. The cooking times will vary with the size of the eggplants. Open one to check if they are done before removing them all. Allow them to cool in the foil.

I like to serve these in the foil, unwrapping them at the table and having the whipped yoghurt on the side. Enjoy loaded on bread or naan.