Romanian
Salată de Vinete
Flame-charred eggplant drained, hand-chopped, and patiently beaten with sunflower oil until pale and silky, then sharpened with finely minced white onion and salt.
6 servings · 25 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Eggplant Spread
- 2 1/2 pounds globe eggplants, about 3 medium
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil, plus up to 1 tablespoon only if the eggplant remains dry
- 1/4 cup very finely minced white onion
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
For Serving
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
Directions
Blacken and Collapse
- Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the element. Prick the eggplants a few times. Broil on a foil-lined baking sheet, turning every 6 to 8 minutes, until the skins are blackened all over and the flesh has completely collapsed, 30 to 35 minutes total.
Peel, Drain, and Chop
- Split the eggplants while hot and lift the flesh from the black skins, avoiding loose char. Drain in a colander set at a slight angle for 30 minutes, then cool completely.
- Chop the drained flesh repeatedly with a chef’s knife until cohesive but not perfectly puréed. Do not use a high-speed blender.
Beat in the Oil
- Transfer the eggplant to a deep bowl. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon while adding the sunflower oil one teaspoon at a time, waiting until each addition disappears before adding the next. Continue until the spread is paler, glossy, and softly mounded.
- Fold in the white onion and kosher salt. Chill for 30 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes and serve with the tomato wedges.
