IMAM BAYILD (SWOONING IMAM) STUFFED EGGPLANT ENJOY DAN:

       IMAM BAYILDI (SWOONING IMAM) STUFFED EGGPLANT by CHEF DAN:

Serves 4

The story is when Imam come home from the mosque, his wife had prepared the for lunch. On tasting it, he fainted. Some think it was because he was so delighted with the dish;

Others think that his reaction was more due to the high price of its main ingredient olive oil.

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium-sized aubergines/ eggplant

2 onions (sogan) finely sliced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tomatoes (domates) skinned and chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, (sarimak) finely sliced

A bunch of fresh parsley (maydanoz) dill (dereoto) and mint (nane) chopped

2 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon EACH sumac (sumac) Turkish red pepper and lemon juice

2 tablespoon lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2-cup water

DIRECTIONS: (PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES)

1.   In a bowl, sprinkle the onions with salt and knead them forcefully with your hands, until they start to weep and soften.

2.   Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, sugar, 2 tablespoon olive oil, sumac, red pepper, and lemon juice season with salt and pepper, mix well.

3.   Place a knife on the spot where the stem starts above the leaves and cut all around, not cutting all the way through.

4.   Twist the stem off so only the hard core is left, remove the leaves.

5.   Peel off the eggplant skin on each eggplant in altering lengthwise strips to create a striped effect- but leave the steam intact.

6.   With a little knife, hollow out the inside, like a canoe, don’t cut all the through

7.   Pile the mixture high on top of each eggplant and press it in, so that’s its full.

8.   Making sure the whole eggplant is tight and full and the flesh is covered.

9.   Place the eggplants side by side in a prepared baking sheet, open side up.

10.                Pour the rest of the olive oil over the eggplants.

11.                Add water till liquid comes half-way up the eggplants.

12.                Occasionally baste with the cooking liquid.

13.                Cover the eggplants and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

14.                Let cool in the baking dish, preferably covered and overnight.

15.                Put each eggplant on a plate.

16.                With a fork, bring all the stuffing back and press down gently to give it a nice shine.

17.                Top with fresh dill.

ENJOY DAN: