Greek Eggplant Spread

The Greeks consider this dish a salad, but its consistency is much more akin to a spread. There are dozens of variations on melitzanosalata in Balkan cuisine, but this version is authentically Greek. Roasting the eggplant over an open fire makes all the difference in this recipe, giving the salad its characteristic deep charred flavor. The roasted eggplant is then chopped by hand (never in a food processor!) to retain a chunky texture, ensuring that every bite has a slightly different mouthfeel than the one before.

By Shaily Lipa

Original recipe source

Cook time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 medium Italian or globe eggplants
• 2 medium Italian or globe eggplants
• 1 scallion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• 0.5 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 0 salt
• 0 pepper

Instructions

1. To char on a gas stovetop: Wrap each eggplant in aluminum foil. Char each eggplant on a separate burner over high heat, using tongs to turn it every 5 minutes or so, until the eggplants are very so...
2. To char under the broiler: Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place parchment paper on top. Arrange the 2 eggplants on the pan and place them as close to the broiler as you can without the egg...
3. Let the eggplants rest (in the foil if using the stovetop method, or on the pan for the broiler method) until they are cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
4. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Discard the skins. Place the flesh in a fine-mesh sieve and allow any juices to drain, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the eggplant flesh from the sieve, roughly chop it, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the scallion, garlic, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, the 2 tablespoons olive oil, the parsley, ...
6. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors combine.