Patlican salatasi (Turkish Aubergine Salad) [Recipe]

[Guest guest]

PT's posting of Imam Bayildi reminded me that most of the time I

labour under the belief that I don't like aubergine. Then I go to

Turkey and eat Imam Bayildi or Patlican Salatasi and remember that I

love aubergine when it is well cooked and treated with the respect

it deserves. This is my cousin's recipe and the measurements are

pretty fluid as it is all a matter of taste:

 

Patlican salatasi (Turkish Aubergine salad)

 

2 or 3 Aubergines

1 lemon

1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic (or more according to taste)

1-2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 Tbsp natural yoghurt (optional)

 

Roast the aubergines in a hot oven until the flesh is soft right

through. (This can take over an hour.) Next, if you have a gas hob,

smoke the aubergines by holding them over the flame. If you have a

grill in an electric oven, you could use this instead, leaving the

aubergines under your grill, turning them periodically, until they

are black. It is not essential that the aubergines are smoked, but

it does give a lovely flavour. It probably doesn't matter whether

you roast or smoke first, and it may be that smoking first will mean

that the aubergines are firmer and easier to manipulate. I have just

tended to roast then smoke. Leave the aubergines to cool. Squeeze

some lemon - more or less according to taste. Slit the aubergines

lengthways and remove the flesh. Put it in the lemon juice straight

away to minimise discolouration. Add pressed garlic to taste, and as

much or little olive oil as you fancy. An optional extra is natural

yoghurt to taste. Adding quite a lot of yoghurt means that it ends

up being a more pale-looking dish, less is just enough not to make

the dish too acidic, but without drowning out the flavour of the

aubergines.

 

Enjoy!

Christie