Imam Bayildi
You are served this everywhere in Istanbul and everywhere told this story: the dish is so delicious that the imam or priest to whom it was served simply fainted—“bayildi.” (Some people say he was so very thrifty that he fainted at the profligate amount of olive oil used, but since olive oil is no longer especially expensive—and a half cup is not that much, after all—you can enjoy this dish without guilt.) As is almost always the case, the small, light-skinned “Japanese” eggplants work best because they lack the bitterness common to larger eggplants. If you cannot get those, use the smallest eggplants you can find. This dish is always served at room temperature (or cold), so make it ahead of time.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 or more servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplants and brown on all sides, adjusting the heat and turning as necessary; drain on paper towels. Cut a slit lengthwise in each eggplant, taking care not to cut all the way through, then assemble them in a baking dish that will hold them snugly.
Step 2
Add the remaining oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low; cook the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until very soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes more, then stir in the parsley, sugar, and salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Stuff the onion-tomato mixture into the slits in the eggplants. Pour any remaining pan juices and 3 tablespoons water over the eggplants, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, squeeze the lemon juice on top, and serve.
