Spiced Chickpea Stuffed Eggplant
SMOKY - CHARRED - TWICE ROASTED - BOLD - HERBY - BIG ON FLAVOR
That’s how Pierce Abernathy describes his custom recipe, an aromatic, hearty Spiced Chickpea Stuffed Eggplant dish. Pierce designed this recipe to pair beautifully with our first wine — a savory, food-friendly Barbera Rosé. Cook his full recipe below.
BY: PIERCE ABERNATHY
This recipe serves 4 people.
INGREDIENTS
4 medium globe eggplants
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
⅓ cup crumbled feta, to serve
Freshly ground black pepper, to serve
Tahini Sauce
⅓ cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 medium garlic clove, grated
Spiced Chickpeas
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 allspice berries
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Shallot Salad
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
½ cup packed parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup packed mint, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon sumac
DIRECTIONS
Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Place the eggplants on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt, using your hands to rub all over. Pierce the eggplant lightly with a fork in a few places.
Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 35 to 40 minutes. Allow the cool to room temperature while keeping the oven on.
Make the tahini sauce: Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt to taste.
Make the chickpeas: Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice berries to a medium pan over medium high heat and cook, stirring, until aromatic and toasted, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and pulse until smooth.
Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to lightly brown. Add in the ground spices, red pepper flakes, and season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the chickpeas are browned and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
Make the shallot salad: Add the olive oil, shallots, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and sumac to a medium bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste.
Keeping the eggplant on the baking sheet, slice the eggplant in half, keeping them connected on one side, lightly press down in the center of the halved eggplant to create a divot. Generously brush with the tahini sauce. Top with the spiced chickpeas until they are slightly overfilled and return to the oven.
Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Top the eggplant with the shallot salad, crumbled feta, olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper to serve.
