There is so much about this dish that appears in my fantasy heaven, it’s crazy — the crunchy char-grilled sourdough, tangy creamy Greek yogurt, fresh crisp pomegranate, and that fried meaty eggplant! I mean, COME ON. This combination is simply dynamite.
Remember last year when crostini was everything? Well, my life since has been dedicated to keeping it that way (extreme, you might think … or is it?) I am a serious fan of shmearing most anything on top of toasted bread lathered in olive oil and garlic. But no, we’re doing it even better than that — with a sourdough, my absolute FAVE.
serves 1
ingredients
- 1 1/2-inch slice of sourdough
- 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, labaneh, or (if you’re craving more cheesiness) equal parts fresh ricotta and feta, mixed together
- 1 slice pickled roasted eggplant with garlic- recipe follows
- ½ handful fresh basil
- ½ handful fresh mint leaves
- 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds for garnish
- Finishing salt or kosher salt
directions
1. Drizzle the bread with some olive oil. Place on grill and char a little on both sides. Take off the heat, rub with raw garlic and sprinkle kosher salt on top. Spread Greek yogurt over the bread before laying eggplant on top. Toss basil and mint together before placing them in a pile over the eggplant. Scatter pomegranate seeds on top and drizzle with pomegranate molasses and the last of the olive oil. Finish it off with lemon juice and finishing salt.
Pickled roasted eggplant and garlic
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 eggplant
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup water
- salt
- fresh basil
directions
1. Slice the eggplant and sprinkle it with salt. Let its water seep out before patting it dry, around 15 minutes. Heat up pan with olive oil and pan fry eggplant until golden on both sides. Let sit on paper towel.
2. Combine the vinegars and water in a cup.
3. Place one eggplant slice in a container and season with salt. Place sliced garlic on top followed by basil. Continue to layer salted eggplant, garlic and basil until you fill the container. Pour the vinegar mixture over the top layer and cover. Let sit in fridge for at least 3 hours. You can make this up to 3 days in advance.