I really enjoy recipes where meat plays a supporting role to the vegetable but isn’t necessarily the main star. This weeknight meal features tender roasted eggplant which is topped with spiced ground lamb. A flavor-packed black garlic yogurt sauce, crispy garlic and chilies, and fresh herbs tie it all together. Serves two.
-Morgan Mannino, Cheesemonger and Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Formaggio Kitchen
Ingredients
1 large globe eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
6 L’Etuverie Occitanie Organic Black Garlic Cloves
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
6 slices iContadini Chili Peppers from Salento in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh dill, coarsely chopped
Fresh basil, torn
Fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon NY Shuk Shawarma spice blend
6oz ground lamb
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Optional: Serve with Canaan Maftoul Palestinian Couscous
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Drizzle olive oil on a small sheet tray and coat the eggplant halves in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and place flesh-side down. Roast in the oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Place the black garlic cloves in the small bowl of a food processor (or you can use a deep bowl and an immersion blender). Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Process until the mixture becomes a thick paste, and then transfer to a small bowl. Mix in the rest of the yogurt in until well combined and set aside.
- Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Add the regular garlic slices and chilies and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the garlic is golden-brown. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the ground lamb and spread it into a thin even layer. Cook until golden and crispy on one side.
- Flip over the lamb and break it up into small pieces using a spatula. Add 1 tablespoon of shawarma spice blend and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Spread the black garlic yogurt into a thick layer on a platter. Place the two roasted eggplant halves side by side. Top with the spiced ground lamb mixture. Drizzle over the crispy garlic and chili mixture. Dollop over the rest of the black garlic yogurt and sprinkle with the mixture of fresh herbs.
- Serve over couscous or pilaf and enjoy with a fork and knife.
