Nigel Slater's Grilled Eggplant with Creamed Feta Recipe
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[Photograph: Blake Royer]
For a long time, I could never get into eggplant. It always seemed mushy and bitter to me, and preparations were often oily, so I tended to avoid it. But then I discovered long, skinny varieties of eggplant from Asia (you often see them at farmers' markets) that come in all different colors, have a thinner skin, and less bitter seeds. Their flavor is more mild and delicate, and they just might convert you, too.
Why I Picked This Recipe: Two words: creamed feta. The idea, from a chef I pretty much implicitly trust, was too intriguing and delicious-sounding to pass up.
What Worked: As a late summer/early fall dish, this was wonderful: the grilled eggplants come out tender and succulent and taste quite nice at room temperature set out on a table outside. The feta—mashed up with thick yogurt and flecked with fresh herbs—makes for a creamy, salty accompaniment to slather on flatbread.
What Didn't: Not exactly a complaint, but the amounts in this recipe make for far more creamed feta than is necessary. I enjoyed having it in the fridge for a couple days, but if you'd like, you can make less.
Suggested Tweaks: Adding more herbs. You could easily double or triple the amount of parsley, basil, and mint in the feta mixture and it would only improve.
Adapted from Nigel Slater.
- Yield:serves 4
- Active time: 15 minutes
- Total time:20 minutes
- Rated:
Ingredients
- 4-6 long Asian eggplants, or 2 medium-sized European eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 1-inch thick pieces
- 7 ounces feta cheese
- 3/4 cup thick yogurt (preferably sheep's)
- 1 tablespoon each chopped basil, parsley, and mint
- salt and pepper, to taste
- olive oil, as needed
- warm flat bread, to serve
Directions
-
1.
If time allows, sprinkle the eggplant pieces with sea salt and allow to stand for up to an hour. This will help them to absorb less oil later on.
-
2.
In a medium bowl, crumble the feta and mash roughly with a fork. Add the yogurt, 3 tablespoons water, and the herbs. Season with black pepper and mash the whole mixture together until creamy. If necessary, season with salt.
-
3.
Meanwhile, rinse the eggplants and pat them dry. Brush with a little olive oil and grill until tender, 4-6 minutes per side. They should have some color and char.
-
4.
Remove the eggplant pieces to a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Allow them to cool. Serve with the creamed feta and flatbread.
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