Spicy Pickled Eggplant

Monday, November 17, 2014

When I was little, sour food was my weakness. I don't mean those sour gummy worm things. I was a 4 year old with a salt and vinegar habit that I could not kick for the life of me. While most kids' ideal breakfast was pancakes and poptarts covered in chocolate and colourful crap, I'd wake up and go straight for my mom's salad dressing, not to dress anything with though, just to drink with a spoon. I was weird kid, needless to say. 

Well, once an addict, always an addict. To this day, any sour, vinegar smothered, pickled ingredient can be used as effective bribery for me. I recently went to the modern Israeli restaurant, Palomar and was pleasantly taken by surprise when I took a bite of the obligatory Israeli eggplant and was bitten back by whatever the genius chef had pickled it in. I knew then, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and wished they could give loyalty cards to the loyal sour eggplant fans. 

I haven't been back yet, mostly because I can't get another reservation but in the mean time, I've pickled some eggplants to curb my craving a little.



Spicy Pickled 
Eggplant 

YOU WILL NEED:
1 LARGE EGGPLANT, SLICED (1 CM THICK)
OLIVE OIL
1 CUP RED WINE VINEGAR
2 CLOVES GARLIC, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 RED CHILLI, FINELY CHOPPED
3 TSP SUGAR
1/4 TSP DRIED CHILI FLAKES
1 TBSP TOMATO PASTE
SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
HANDFUL FRESH PARSLEY FOR GARNISHING

Toss the eggplant slices in approximately 2 tbsp olive oil. 

Heat a frying pan and sauté the greased eggplant until soft and brown on both sides. (You may need to drizzle a little more olive oil on each piece as eggplant is like a sponge and sucks up oil like crazy).

Combine the rest of the ingredients (except for the fresh parsley) with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper in a microwave-proof bowl and heat in the microwave for one minute and then mix until its a smooth liquid, plus the chilli and garlic bits. If you don't have a microwave feel free to just bring it to the boil in a pan and make sure to throughly mix all the ingredients together.

Place the cooked eggplant slices in the liquid mixture and make sure it's all covered by the liquid by spooning some over all of the eggplant and trying to push it all under. Leave to marinate and pickle for at least an hour.

Serve at room temperature. When ready to serve sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!