Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Salad)
By Erica TurnerPublished on June 4, 2024
Time
1¾ Hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can broil the eggplant or grill it over gas or charcoal. For the best results, use in-season, round tomatoes or vine-ripened tomatoes; do not use plum tomatoes. To peel the tomatoes, use a serrated peeler or blanch and shock them. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread or alongside a protein such as chicken or fish for a meal.
Instructions
- Poke eggplant about 6 times with paring knife.
- TO BROIL: Adjust oven rack 12 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place eggplant on prepared sheet. Broil until skin is shriveled and slightly darkened and eggplant yields to gentle pressure, about 25 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through cooking. Let eggplant cool on sheet, about 10 minutes TO GRILL: Place eggplant on grill over medium-high heat and cook until skin is shriveled and slightly darkened and eggplant yields to gentle pressure, about 25 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through cooking. Transfer eggplant to foillined baking sheet and let cool, about 10 minutes.
- When eggplant has cooled, peel and discard skin. Chop eggplant flesh coarse and transfer to bowl. (Eggplant can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, sugar, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook, mashing and stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until tomatoes have softened and most liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in eggplant and 1½ tablespoons cilantro and continue to cook, mashing and stirring occasionally, until eggplant has broken down and mixture is dry, 12 to 15 minutes longer.
- Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and extra lemon juice to taste. Transfer to shallow bowl and garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1½ teaspoons cilantro. Serve. (Zaalouk can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and garnish with remaining olive oil and cilantro before serving.)
Time
1¾ HoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To make zaalouk, Morocco's ubiquitous meze, cooks slow-cook a whole eggplant until its skin lightly chars and its flesh softens. Then they mash and sauté it with tomatoes; garlic; spices such as cumin, paprika, and cayenne; cilantro; lemon juice; and plenty of olive oil. Leaving the skin on the eggplant as it cooked not only protected the flesh from drying out but also encouraged the fruit's pectin and hemicellulose to dissolve and create its plush texture. Peeling the tomatoes ensured that no chewy bits of skin distracted from the eggplant's silkiness. Mashing the mixture as it simmered helped any large pieces break down. Even though it was peeled away after charring, the eggplant skin contributed smoky, pleasantly bitter char flavor to the porous eggplant flesh, giving the finished dish complexity and depth. Using 1 pound of tomatoes per 1½ pounds of eggplant added fruity vibrancy without overpowering the eggplant's flavor. Lemon juice and cilantro added more freshness, and plenty of minced garlic as well as some cumin, paprika, salt, and sugar contributed savory, earthy depth and a touch of sweetness.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You can broil the eggplant or grill it over gas or charcoal. For the best results, use in-season, round tomatoes or vine-ripened tomatoes; do not use plum tomatoes. To peel the tomatoes, use a serrated peeler or blanch and shock them. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread or alongside a protein such as chicken or fish for a meal.
Instructions
- Poke eggplant about 6 times with paring knife.
- TO BROIL: Adjust oven rack 12 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place eggplant on prepared sheet. Broil until skin is shriveled and slightly darkened and eggplant yields to gentle pressure, about 25 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through cooking. Let eggplant cool on sheet, about 10 minutes TO GRILL: Place eggplant on grill over medium-high heat and cook until skin is shriveled and slightly darkened and eggplant yields to gentle pressure, about 25 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through cooking. Transfer eggplant to foillined baking sheet and let cool, about 10 minutes.
- When eggplant has cooled, peel and discard skin. Chop eggplant flesh coarse and transfer to bowl. (Eggplant can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, sugar, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook, mashing and stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until tomatoes have softened and most liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in eggplant and 1½ tablespoons cilantro and continue to cook, mashing and stirring occasionally, until eggplant has broken down and mixture is dry, 12 to 15 minutes longer.
- Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and extra lemon juice to taste. Transfer to shallow bowl and garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1½ teaspoons cilantro. Serve. (Zaalouk can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and garnish with remaining olive oil and cilantro before serving.)
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