World's greatest eggplant recipe
September 19, 2009 3:19 AM Subscribe
Here is a description of one of the world's 50 best dishes (I think linked on the blue). This one involves eggplant. I want more detail and/or a photo.
The dish was served at Ta Kioupa, Athens. This is the description:
"The aubergines were slow- baked for six hours, brought to the table whole, and skinned in front of us. They took out the flesh, crisscrossed the aubergines with two knives, and then added whipped cream with hazelnuts, lemon, sweet pepper, oil, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Incredible."
I am so ready for this! Six hours? At, say, 250? Or what? Tell me more about the other ingredients. Recipe?
I have been to the restaurant/taverna's website and a Flickr set from that that place (it seems sunny and airy). Anyway, if you know anything about this dish, if you have eaten it, if you have seen a photo, if you have cooked it -- tell me!
The dish was served at Ta Kioupa, Athens. This is the description:
"The aubergines were slow- baked for six hours, brought to the table whole, and skinned in front of us. They took out the flesh, crisscrossed the aubergines with two knives, and then added whipped cream with hazelnuts, lemon, sweet pepper, oil, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Incredible."
I am so ready for this! Six hours? At, say, 250? Or what? Tell me more about the other ingredients. Recipe?
I have been to the restaurant/taverna's website and a Flickr set from that that place (it seems sunny and airy). Anyway, if you know anything about this dish, if you have eaten it, if you have seen a photo, if you have cooked it -- tell me!
brambory, that's a good call and it it's probably loosely based on some basic idea of melitzanosalata, but I live in Greece and love melitzanosalata - and the described recipe isn't like anything I've ever had. I'd love to have it, but international recession means I'm not going to Ta Kioupa anytime soon. Still, just based on the poster's description, I might try out something homemade myself.
However, here's a tip that might be useful: the very best melitzanosalata is made with eggplants that have roasted in or over charcoal, and if I were going to try out something like this, I wouldn't oven bake them for six hours, I'd go the grill route. Perhaps these were done over a grill in some fashion (higher racks over their regular meat-grilling racks?), because the slightly smokey eggplant flavor along with the rest of the recipe would be super primo, and it's not likely any Greek chef wouldn't think of it.
posted by taz at 6:27 AM on September 19, 2009
However, here's a tip that might be useful: the very best melitzanosalata is made with eggplants that have roasted in or over charcoal, and if I were going to try out something like this, I wouldn't oven bake them for six hours, I'd go the grill route. Perhaps these were done over a grill in some fashion (higher racks over their regular meat-grilling racks?), because the slightly smokey eggplant flavor along with the rest of the recipe would be super primo, and it's not likely any Greek chef wouldn't think of it.
posted by taz at 6:27 AM on September 19, 2009
I like taz's idea to roast over a grill. It would be interesting to know how it turns out if either of you decide to give it a go. (I'm a bit suspicious about the six hour cooking time myself, but perhaps the recession will lighten up and taz will be able to make it to Ta Kioupa for the general edification of all ask metafilter?)
posted by brambory at 5:25 PM on September 19, 2009
posted by brambory at 5:25 PM on September 19, 2009
If finances lighten up before this question is closed to new comments, I'll definitely post all I learn here. :)
If you decide to try it on your own, CCBC, I wouldn't worry too much about the 6-hour thing; I imagine that's either a sort of mythology/PR of the restaurant, and/or something they did for convenience/space-saving that ended up working well and tasting good. Go with charcoal grilling both the aubergine/eggplant and the pepper (red bell pepper or similar), putting them in a closed paper bag for a while after taking off the grill to make them super-easy to peel. Then dabble with the rest of the recipe ingredients until you get something you love. If I learn some actual specifics, I'll let you guys know!
posted by taz at 7:41 AM on September 20, 2009
If you decide to try it on your own, CCBC, I wouldn't worry too much about the 6-hour thing; I imagine that's either a sort of mythology/PR of the restaurant, and/or something they did for convenience/space-saving that ended up working well and tasting good. Go with charcoal grilling both the aubergine/eggplant and the pepper (red bell pepper or similar), putting them in a closed paper bag for a while after taking off the grill to make them super-easy to peel. Then dabble with the rest of the recipe ingredients until you get something you love. If I learn some actual specifics, I'll let you guys know!
posted by taz at 7:41 AM on September 20, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brambory at 5:44 AM on September 19, 2009