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Turkish eggplant with feta and charred tomato
Ingredients
Lamb demi-glace:
- 6 to 7 pounds (3 kg) lamb bones
- 5 carrots, rough cut
- 2 yellow onions, rough cut
- 5 celery stalks, rough cut
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch of parsley stems
- 2 tablespoons (15 ml) black peppercorns
- 1 small can (6 oz/170 g) tomato paste
- 4 bay leaves
- 6 litres beef stock
Parsley salt:
- 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
Eggplant puree:
- 1 eggplant or reserved trim from portions
- 7 medium tomatoes, rough cut
- 2 green zucchinis, rough cut
- 2 red bell peppers, rough cut
- 1 yellow onion, rough cut
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 star anise
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt
- 1/2 pound (227 g) butter
Eggplant:
- 4 centre cuts of large eggplants (1.5 x 1.5 x 3 inches/4 x 4 x 7.5 cm), reserve trim
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) rendered lamb fat
- 1 cup (240 ml) lamb demi-glace
- Salt
- 4 ounces (113 g) feta cheese, frozen
- 1 cup of eggplant puree
- Parsley salt
Directions
- For the lamb demi-glace, roast bones in a 450°F (230°C) oven for 20 minutes.
- Toss carrots, onion, celery and garlic with tomato paste. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until starting to brown.
- Transfer bone-veg mixture to a stock pot, add peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley and cover with cold beef stock. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and cook for 8 hours.
- Strain and reduce again for two hours until the liquid is dark and shiny, and coats the back of a spoon.
- For the parsley salt, boil water in a small pot, then blanch parsley for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Transfer to ice bath to stop the cooking. Strain and dry with paper towel.
- Transfer to dehydrator, and dehydrate at 110°F (43°C) for 12 hours.
- Remove and process in a spice grinder with salt until you reach a fine powder.
- For the eggplant puree, preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Toss eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, onion, red peppers with olive oil, then transfer to a lined baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes until dark (not burnt).
- Transfer to a stock pot, add chicken stock, cinnamon, and star anise.
- Simmer over medium heat until all liquid has evaporated, then transfer to a high speed blender. Process until smooth.
- While continuing to blend, add butter cubes in stages. Season with salt.
- Chill to room temperature and reserve.
- For the eggplant, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Sear eggplant on all sides in lamb fat, until nicely browned, transfer to oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender but still intact.
- Drain lamb fat out of pan and add lamb demi-glace.
- Baste eggplant over medium heat with the demi-glace, until it comes to a gentle boil and sticks to the eggplant, then remove from pan.
- Use a microplane to cover the top of the eggplant with a nice portion of frozen feta.
- Transfer to plate. Add a dollop of eggplant puree. Dust parsley salt on the plate using a metal tea steeper.
