Pan-roasted eggplant, pine nuts & feta with pomegranate syrup
A simple, delicious Mediterranean-inspired eggplant dish. Perfect as a vegetarian appetizer or stand-alone meal!
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 5 cups eggplants, measured after chopping into 1/2 - 1" cubes
- 3/4 tbsp Himalayan pink sea salt (for salting eggplants)
- 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly crumbled organic feta cheese
- 3 tbsp organic pomegranate molasses (2 tbsp mixed into cooked eggplant and 1 tbsp drizzled on top when serving)
- pinch red sumac powder (optional)
Instructions
- Chop eggplants into 1/2 - 1" cubes, put them in a bowl, add salt, and stir until evenly coated with salt. Pour salted eggplants into a strainer, then place strainer in sink or over top of larger bowl to allow water to drain out. Let sit for 45 minutes to draw water out. After 45 minutes, quickly but thoroughly rinse eggplants to remove salt from surface area.
- Heat large skillet (ideally cast iron) to medium low heat (4 on our stove). (For reference, we used a 10" cast iron.) Once pan is hot, add extra virgin olive oil and eggplant cubes. Cook eggplant cubes for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking and scalding. Eggplant pieces should be lightly browned on all sides and soft yet slightly firm.
- A few minutes after eggplants have started cooking... In separate pan (we used a 5.5" cast iron), toast 1/3 cup pine nuts on medium-low heat (3.5 on our stove) for about 15 minutes, tossing/stirring every 30 seconds or so to prevent nuts from burning. You want the pine nuts lightly browned, not blackened.
- Remove cooked eggplants and pine nuts from heat and let them cool about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add feta cheese + 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses and stir to incorporate.
- Plate the dish. Garnish with another tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and red sumac (optional).