Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Lamb and Rice

Name: Turkish Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Lamb and Rice
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small onion, diced; 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced; 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 6–8 ounces ground lamb, or a combination of lamb and beef; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, allspice, and cumin; 1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh (peeled and seeded); 1 tablespoon tomato puree; 1/4 cup Chicken Stock (p. 206), lamb stock, beef stock, or water; 2 cups cooked rice; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, optional; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon paprika or Aleppo pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for salting the eggplant if necessary; 2 medium to large eggplants (about 2 pounds total); Cooked eggplant; Lamb and rice filling; 1/4 cup Cheesy Bread Crumb Topping (p. 42), or plain dry bread crumbs moistened with a little olive oil

December 14, 2011

Aaaaahhh, Mediterranean comfort food! Think of this as a heady, warmly spiced alternative to your mom’s stuffed bell pepper. The baked eggplant flesh becomes a tender bed for the luscious meat and rice filling, and the whole is so succulent and moist that no sauce is needed. Some chilled sliced cucumber and onion with olive oil and vinegar would be a good starter or side dish.

Cooks' Note

After you’ve made this recipe once, you may want to embellish the filling a bit with some additional ingredients, such as toasted pine nuts, artichoke hearts, or a handful of lightly soaked currants. Or you may want to vary the herbs with oregano, cilantro, or mint. I’ve also added some small cubes of feta cheese.