The Spirit World

The name of the appetizer may have caught your attention but before we get to that let’s quickly touch on our beverage for this week’s Happy Hour at Home.

I’m selecting Ouzo on the rocks. This slightly sweet, anise flavored beverage is what we think of when we think of Greece. As the summer winds down here in the northern hemisphere, we want to honor the last golden days and Ouzo is just the beverage to do that. As you sip it, close your eyes and let the feeling of warm Mediterranean sunshine and breezes surround you. I have not yet been to Greece but four million years ago I saw the Moon-Spinners (actually set in Crete) and can still remember the images from that movie, especially some of the night scenes with the moon reflecting across the sea. That’s what I see when I drink Ouzo and think of Greece.

And now for the appetizer. One of my dinner club counterparts made this dish for our Tapas to Meze themed dinner. At this time of year when eggplant is everywhere this is the perfect slightly spicy dish to pair with the Ouzo. It also incorporates tomato and onion, widely available in Farmers’ Markets at this time of year. According to Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir, the name of the dish has two possible explanations. In one the priest is so happy with his cook’s offering that he “swoons away”. In the other version, he’s so upset with the amount of olive oil used that he fainted at the expense!

Either way this is a really tasty way to incorporate more eggplant into your life - and really there’s not the much olive oil in it! It’s an easy recipe and can be made a day in advance and then just served at room temperature or warmed gently in the oven prior to serving.

 
 
 

Baked Stuffed Eggplant to Make a Priest Faint

(Imam Bayildi)

• 6 Japanese eggplants, end trimmed
• 4 T salt
• 6 1/4 cups water
• 7 T olive oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes with juice, plus 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 5 T chopped parsley
• 1/2 t dry oregano
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 t honey
• 2 T lemon juice

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Make 4 evenly spaced incisions lengthwise in each eggplant half. Dissolve the salt in 6 cups water and soak eggplant for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 T oil in a large pan and cook the onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 T of parsley, oregano and simmer until almost dry, 5-10 minutes. Add the currants, allspice, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the eggplant well. Squeeze gently and dry well with paper towels. Heat 3 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the eggplant on all sides until the cut side is golden brown and the eggplant is cooked through and soft, 8-12 minutes. With a spoon, scoop the pulp from the inside of the shell, leaving the skin and 1/4 inch of the lining intact. Finely chop the pulp and add to the tomato and onion mixture. Mix well. Taste again for seasonings.

Place eggplant shells in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Fill with tomato & onion mixture. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the dish. Combine the honey, lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper and drizzle evenly over each eggplant. Top each stuffed eggplant with a tomato slice. Cover and bake the eggplant for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, adding water as necessary. Cool to room temperature. Reserve pan juices.

To serve, place the eggplant on a platter, drizzle with the pan juices and garnish with the remaining parsley.

NOTE: This recipe can be prepared completely in advance,. Store in refrigerator and bring to room temperature OR rewarm gently in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes before serving.