Lamb-Stuffed Aubergines In Sweet and Sour Sauce

Amarante

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 11:23 am

This was delicious. I love both eggplant and lamb but I imagine it could be made with any chopped meat - beef, chicken or turkey

You could probably do a lot of the prep ahead of time and then assemble when ready to cook the final stage

Lamb-Stuffed Aubergines In Sweet and Sour Sauce

Excerpt From: Nida Degutiene. “A Taste of Israel – From classic Litvak to modern Israeli

Of all the aubergine-based dishes, those made by the Turkish Jews are exceptional. When Yotam Ottolenghi published his cookbook, Jerusalem, he included many traditional aubergine recipes. Israeli home cooks immediately adjusted them according to their own tastes. This is one of many versions

Serves 4

2 medium aubergines
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley to garnish

SEASONING

1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon allspice

STUFFING

extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts
400g minced lamb
11⁄2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

SAUCE

1⁄2 cup dry white wine or water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 piece stick cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Slice the aubergines lengthwise, then carefully make several incisions in the flesh. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the aubergines in a baking dish, flesh side up. Bake for about 20 minutes.

To make the seasoning, mix together all the ingredients.

In a large pan, heat 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat, stirring.

After 4–5 minutes, when the onion is soft, add half of the prepared seasoning mix and cook until the onion begins to brown.

Add the pine nuts and fry with the onions for a minute or so.

Add the lamb and tomato paste and sugar. Season with the parsley, chili flakes, salt and black pepper. Fry for about 10 minutes over a low heat, stirring, until the meat is cooked and starts to dry.

Remove the aubergines from the oven. Using a spoon, press a spoonful or two of the stuffing firmly into the flesh of the aubergine.

To prepare the sauce, mix the wine or water with the lemon juice, honey, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the remaining seasoning mix. Pour the sauce into the baking dish with the stuffed aubergines. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the aubergines from the oven and drizzle with some of the sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Cover again with the foil and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. If the sauce has reduced too much, add about half a cup of water. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and once again drizzle the aubergines with the sauce. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until browned.

Serve the aubergines garnished with chopped parsley, covered in sauce, and with white bread, rice or couscous on the side.