Fried Eggplant

Green Lentils, Green Peppercorn Sauce, Baharat, Herbed Labneh, Frisée, Pickles, Pickled Turnips

Chef George Madosky of Fork | Philadelphia

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Adapted by StarChefs | december 2023

INGREDIENTS

Pickled Turnips:
10 baby hakurei turnips, cut into ¼-inch pieces
50 grams mustard seed
100 grams ground turmeric
200 grams lemon juice
750 grams rice vinegar
150 grams sugar
4 cloves garlic
Salt

Pickles:
1 kilogram small Persian cucumbers, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
500 grams rice vinegar
100 grams sugar
Salt
3 cloves garlic
50 grams mustard seed
50 grams red chile flake
50 grams fennel seed

Herbed Labneh:
50 grams mint
50 grams dill
50 grams chives
50 grams parsley
1 kilogram labneh
Salt

Lentils:
1 kilogram green lentils
Vegetable stock
1 onion, diced and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
4 radishes, grilled and diced
Toasted ground cumin
Salt
Lemon juice
Olive oil

Baharat Spice:
55 grams coriander seed
55 grams cumin seed
85 grams whole black peppercorn
30 grams nutmeg
6 grams cardamom pod
6 grams clove
12 grams ground cinnamon

Fried Eggplant:
1 eggplant, cut into a ¾-inch slab lengthwise, ends and trim reserved
Salt
Flour
Egg wash
Panko breadcrumbs

Green Peppercorn Sauce:
Salt
50 grams olive oil
4 shallots, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups brandy
4 ounces green peppercorns in brine, strained and crushed
Lemon juice

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Frisée, washed and dried
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt
Dill
Chives, minced
Lemon zest

METHOD

For the Pickled Turnips:
Place turnips in a nonreactive container. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring all remaining ingredients and 300 grams water to a boil. Strain mixture and pour over turnips. Let sit overnight at room temperature.

For the Pickles:
Place cucumbers in a nonreactive container. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring all remaining ingredients and 250 grams water to boil. Strain mixture and let cool. Once cooled, pour mixture over cucumbers. Let sit overnight at room temperature.

For the Herbed Labneh:
In a food processor, combine all herbs and 500 grams labneh. Transfer mixture to a bowl, then stir in remaining labneh. Season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the Lentils:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring lentils and vegetable stock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender. Strain, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate until cool. Once cooled, transfer lentils to a mixing bowl with onion and radish. Taste and adjust seasoning with cumin, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Refrigerate.

For the Baharat Spice:
In a small pan, toast all spices until fragrant. Using a spice grinder, grind spices until a powder-like consistency is achieved. Transfer spices to an airtight container and reserve.

For the Fried Eggplant:
On a work surface, liberally season eggplant with salt. Set aside. In separate shallow containers, place flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. Set aside. In a frying pan, heat oil to 375°F. Dredge seasoned eggplant in flour, followed by egg wash and breadcrumbs. Make sure eggplant is evenly coated. Fry eggplant until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Green Peppercorn Sauce:
In a large stockpot over medium heat, submerge 4 quarts reserved eggplant scraps with salted water. Cook until eggplant scraps are soft. Transfer eggplant to a Vitamix blender. Blend on high speed, slowly streaming in oil until mixture is fully emulsified. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add shallot and garlic. Sweat until alliums are soft and translucent, then deglaze pan with brandy. Reduce until au sec. Stir shallot mixture, green peppercorns, 50 grams Baharat Spice into the eggplant purée. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Transfer mixture to a saucepan over low heat and keep warm.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place 1 dollop Herbed Labneh on the right side of a serving plate. In a small bowl, combine frisée, 3 Pickled Turnips and 3 Pickles. Season with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Toss to coat. Place salad over Herbed Labneh. Top with fresh dill. On the left side of the serving plate, spoon Green Peppercorn Sauce to create a small pool. Top with Lentils and Fried Eggplant. Garnish with sliced chives and lemon zest.

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