Grilled Eggplant, Creamed Feta
This is one of those recipes I find come in handy on several levels. I use it as both starter and main dish—often with parsley-flecked couscous on the side—but it is also a fine dish to bring out as one of the constituents of a laid-back summer meal in the garden. The sort where you just put a few simple dishes on the table and let everyone help themselves.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Slice each eggplant lengthwise into five or six long steaks. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to stand for up to an hour or so while you make the creamed feta. This salting will ensure the eggplants soak up as little oil as possible.
Step 2
Crumble the feta into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Stir in the yogurt, 3 tablespoons of water, and the chopped herbs. Season with black pepper, but not salt unless your feta was extraordinarily mild.
Step 3
Rinse the eggplants gently and pat them dry. Brush with olive oil and place on a grill or a hot grill pan, the ridged sort that sits over the burner. When they are tender—a matter of five or six minutes on each side—and appetizingly charred in patches, lift them off the grill and place on a serving dish. Drizzle immediately with olive oil. How much they absorb will depend on the eggplants but make certain they are all thoroughly soaked. Leave them to cool a little, then serve with the creamed feta and flat bread.
