Fairytale Eggplant, Sumac Labneh, Black Urfa Chili Oil

fairytale eggplant with sumac labneh and black urfa chili oil

A cool and refreshing dish. Fairytale eggplant are lovely mini eggplant, only 4 inches long! They hold vibrant white streaks within it's vibrant lavender body and tend to be just a bit more tender than it's bigger cousins.

The dish comes from mediterranean backgrounds, black urfa chili oil; a deeply savory, not-so-spicy chili of Turkish descent. It has accents of cocoa, raisin, with hints of earth and smoke. The labneh is whipped with sumac; a tangy, citrus-like spice also from Turkey, that brings brightness and acidity without the usage of lemons.

Ingredients

For the eggplant:

For the black urfa chili oil:

For the sumac labneh

Directions

Black Urfa Chili Oil:

  1. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan, up to 390F (190C) and prepare the rest below.
  2. Smash the 2 cloves of garlic.
  3. Place the garlic, black urfa, and salt in heat proof bowl
  4. When the oil reaches around 370F, pour the oil slowly into the bowl. The urfa will sizzle and infuse the flavors into the oil.
  5. After cooled, place into a tightly sealed container and keep refrigerated for up to two months.

Sumac Labneh:

  1. Place labneh, salt, honey, and sumac into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Once mixed, drizzle EVOO on top.

Eggplant:

  1. Slice eggplant in half. Set Aside.
  2. Pick parsley leaves. Set aside.
  3. Set skillet to high heat, after 1 minute, layer the eggplant down, flesh-side down.
  4. Add the 2 Tbsp of oil. The eggplant will start to sear. Let sear for 1 to 2 minutes, until the eggplant is tender. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  5. To plate, smear a good spoonful of the labneh on the plate. Place eggplant on top, drizzle with chili oil, and finally garnish with parsley.
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